Mikel Arteta described the reversal of a penalty awarded to Eberechi Eze as "completely unacceptable" after Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi‑final against Atletico Madrid. The incident occurred in the 78th minute when substitute Eze was brought down inside the box by David Hancko. Initial contact appeared to be clear foot‑on‑foot, and the Gunners seemed poised to retake the lead.
However, the VAR protocol was activated, and referee Danny Makkelie was instructed to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. After consulting multiple replay angles, Makkelie ultimately decided to rescind the penalty he had originally signalled, leaving the match level at full‑time.
The decision set the stage for a decisive second leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. In the immediate post‑match interview with TNT Sports, Arteta expressed his frustration, saying, "After going back into the dressing room, speaking to the boys and watching the penalty incident, it's extremely disappointing and annoying because it was against the rules and it changes the course of the tie. I'm very, very upset." He went on to condemn the process, adding, "The whole sequence. There is clear contact.
You make the decision, you cannot overturn that decision when you have to look at it 13 times. It's completely unacceptable at this level. It's the wrong decision." Arteta's remarks captured the anger felt by many Arsenal supporters, who felt the club had been denied a clear goal‑scoring opportunity at a crucial juncture. Midfielder Declan Rice echoed Arteta's sentiment, insisting that the penalty should have stood and suggesting that the referee was "provoked" by the atmosphere in the stadium.
"It's a clear penalty. And I don't know how that's not been given. I think the fans provoked the decision and changed the ref's mind," Rice said.
He also noted the differences between UEFA's interpretation of the laws and those applied in the Premier League, arguing that the governing body tends to be more stringent in European competition. UEFA later released a brief statement on its website, asserting that "Atleti player, No 17, did not commit a foul on the opponent." The organization declined to elaborate on the specific reasoning behind the VAR intervention when queried by Sky Sports News. UEFA's standard guidance on VAR usage emphasizes that the technology is intended to correct "clear and obvious" errors in match‑changing situations, but the lack of a detailed explanation left many questioning the consistency of its application.
When asked whether Arsenal would lodge a formal protest with UEFA, Arteta replied, "I leave that to the club to decide what's the best thing to do. Now they're not going to give us a penalty. That's it.
That's gone." The manager's measured response suggested that the club would likely focus on the upcoming second leg rather than pursue an administrative challenge. The match itself was marked by three penalty incidents. Arsenal had taken the lead at halftime through a spot‑kick converted by Viktor Gyokeres after another clash involving Hancko, who appeared to trip the striker from behind. Atletico responded after the break when Julian Alvarez converted a penalty awarded after VAR identified a handball by Ben White.
The ball had deflected off White's knee onto his hand following a shot from Marcos Llorente, prompting referee Makkelie to send the decision to the monitor once again. Arteta acknowledged that the handball interpretation in the Champions League differs from the Premier League, stating, "They have been consistent with that. If you are going to give a penalty for this kind of thing you have to accept it." The controversy surrounding the handball call was compounded by a similarly disputed decision in the other semi‑final, where Alphonso Davies was penalised for a handball in Paris Saint‑Germain's victory over Bayern Munich. Former player and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher took to social media to call for UEFA to clarify its handball definition, describing the current situation as a "stain on the competition." He wrote, "The Champions League is the best football by a mile, but these penalty decisions for handball really are a stain on the competition.
Last night's was worse but that should not be a penalty against White." Reflecting on his team's overall performance in Madrid, Arteta expressed pride in the effort shown over the nine‑and‑a‑half months of preparation, noting, "I'm very proud, I said that to the boys, the way we handled the context for nine-and-a-half months, just remarkable. I really value what they've done because I've seen some of the best teams in the world here fall apart and concede three and four." He also acknowledged the disappointment of not securing the win, but remained optimistic about the chance to rectify the result in the second leg: "We didn't get the result that we wanted, and the way we planned the game, we wanted to win it.
At least it is in our hands, in front of our people. We want to be in that final and in a week's time we are going to have the opportunity to do so." The controversy surrounding the VAR decision underscores the ongoing debate about the technology's role in high‑stakes matches.
While VAR was introduced to eliminate clear errors, critics argue that repeated reviews and subjective interpretations can still lead to outcomes that feel unjust to players, coaches, and fans alike. As Arsenal prepare for the return fixture at the Emirates, the focus will shift from the disputed penalty to the tactical battle that lies ahead, with both sides eager to secure a place in the Champions League final.