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David Hytner
It was a see-saw tie. And if it lacked the beauty of Paris Saint-Germain versus Bayern Munich in the other Champions League semi-final, first-leg from Tuesday night, it still had drama; knife-edge tension.
It was a tale of three penalties, two scored, one by either team; the award of the last one rescinded amid wild scenes. That had stood to give Arsenal the opportunity to take a 2-1 lead to London next Tuesday. In the event, the referee, Danny Makkelie went to the pitchside screen and ruled that David Hancko’s contact on the Arsenal substitute, Eberechi Eze, in the 78th minute was not strong enough.
When it was over and the hearts had stopped hammering, Arsenal could be happy. They had grown into the first-half and one-nil to the Ar-se-nal sounded good when it was belted out by the travelling fans at the interval.
Mikel Arteta: 'Completely unacceptable... against the rules'
After speaking to the boys and watching the penalty incident for the second goal (sic), I’m extremely disappointed and annoyed. It was against the rules, I don’t understand it and it changes the course of the tie. So: very, very upset.
[Did you speak to the referee?] No, but the whole sequence tells a story. There is clear contact. If you make that decision, you cannot overturn that decision. When you have to look at it 13 times… at this level it’s completely unacceptable.
[On the Atletico penalty] They have been consistent so if you’re going to give a penalty for that kind of thing, you have to accept it. I have nothing to say on that, but the one that changes everything is the penalty on Ebs [Eberechi Eze]. That cannot happen at this level.
[On the game in general] We did a lot of very positive things. We are an incredible position – semi-final of the Champions League, we have to play in front of our people, and it is in our hands.
[On their recovery for the weekend] We will make sure the players eat, sleep, get a lot of love and use every hour of the day to be in the best position to compete and win against Fulham.
Viktor Gyokeres’s reaction
In the first half I think we controlled the game quite well. They started much better in the second half, maybe deserved to get a goal, and overall it was a tough game. It’s only half-time.
I didn’t see their penalty, so it’s difficult to say, but that’s football. I don’t know why they turned [the Eze penalty] down, it looks like there was contact, but it’s their decision.
At home with our fans it’ll be different for sure. We have to do our job and be at our best.
“I make that: 1) never a penalty according to my internal and arbitrary rules and 2) absolutely a penalty under the laws of the game,” writes James Humphries. “In particular, how on earth does it get overturned after VAR?”
Mate, you’ve got some nerve turning up here after promising us 120 minutes.
Both teams will feel they could have won; both will know, deep down, they could have lost.
Atletico Madrid were the better team overall but had a sizeable stroke of luck when VAR denied Arsenal their second penalty of the night and the third of the match.
In the end there were only two, both put away with feeling by Viktor Gyokeres and Julan Alvarez.
Full time: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Arsenal
A rugged arm-wrestle, exactly as we expected, will resume at the Emirates next Tuesday.
90+4 min Hancko moves to the edge of the D and touches the ball off to Molina. He cuts across a vicious rising drive that just clears the crossbar, though Raya had it covered.
90+3 min Pugill’s deep cross from the right is headed back across goal by Baeda. The ball just clears the leaping Lookman and is hooked clear.
90 min There will be seven minutes of injury/VAR time.
89 min Rice whips a good effort from distance that bounces a few yards wide. Oblak had it covered, but Arsenal look the likelier scoresrs as we approach injury-time.
88 min: Atletico substitution Nahuel Molina, aka Funky Cole, comes on for Johnny Cardoso.
87 min Mosquera’s first contribution is a rising drive that is pushed up and away by Oblak. Comfortable save.
86 min: Arsenal substitution Cristhian Mosquera is on for Ben White.
84 min Arsenal didn’t get the penalty but they are having their best spell of the second half. Eze plays a crisp pass into the area to Trossard, whose shot on the turn is well blocked by Pubill.
81 min: No penalty!
Blimey. I think that’s really harsh on Arsenal, and the TNT Sports commentary team are wondering whether Diego Simeone’s influence was a factor. “In my opinion,” says Ally McCoist, “if that was in the other box it stays a penalty.”
81 min I don’t think it’s a clear and obvious error – you can make a decent case either way. But when the referee goes to the monitor, it usually means only one thing.
80 min: VAR check! There is an argument that Eze dived, another that he slipped, and another that it’s a penalty. Hancko’s boot certainly caught Eze’s.
Hang on, the referee is going to the monitor.
That came out of nothing. Saka guided a routine pass into the area towards Eze, who got to the ball a split-second ahead of Hancko and went over. Hancko is booked as well.
78 min: Penalty to Arsenal!
The third penalty of the night!
77 min: Atletico substitution Julian Alvarez, who has been in the wars all night, is replaced by Alex Baena.
75 min Two Arsenal players went flying just before the counter-attack that led to Lookman’s chance, so there would have been a few complaints had Lookman scored. Lookman could also have gone down in the area after a clumsy challenge from White.
74 min: Great chance for Lookman!
Atletico should be ahead. Llorente’s low ball from the right was controlled beautifully by Lookman, who beat White in the process, but then he shot straight at David Raya from 12 yards.
71 min This would be a superb result for Arsenal, however fraught the second half has been. Big 20 minutes coming up klaxon.
69 min The substitute Trossard loses the ball in a dangerous area. Alvarez finds Griezmann, whose early ball towards Lookman is well cut out by Saliba.
68 min: Triple substitution for Arsenal With Arsenal unable to get out in the second half, Mikel Arteta has changed his entire forward line. Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard are on for Gyokeres, Madueke and Martinelli.
64 min Alvarez tries to score direct from a corner, forcing Raya to scramble back and push the ball over the bar. Atletico have been too hot for Arsenal to handle in the second half.
The follow-up corner leads to a cross from Griezmann, a header across goal and a volley into orbit from Lookman. Tough chance.
63 min: Griezmann hits the bar!
Ruggeri’s cross is controlled by Lookman just inside the area. He guides a short square pass to Griezmann, who is falling backwards when he floats a beautiful effort that beats Raya and hits the bar. Arsenal can’t clear and moments later – seconds later – Griezmann hits a sizzling volley that deflects not far far.
62 min Alvarez is fine.
61 min Alvarez is down after being caught by Rice. The break in play might be good for Arsenal, who are in danger of being overwhelmed.
59 min I’ve no idea how Diego Simeone addressed his team at half-time. Raw steak? Cattle prod? Whatever he did has worked because it’s been a completely different game.
57 min: Arsenal substitution Eberechi Eze is on for Martin Odegaard.
GOAL! Atletico 1-1 Arsenal (Alvarez 56 pen)
Julian Alvarez whips a fierce penalty into the left corner of the net. David Raya stood still – one of the backroom staff spoke to him before the penalty – but I doubt he’d have saved it anyway.
55 min: Penalty to Atletico!
The referee goes to the monitor and gives the penalty. Llorente’s shot was going miles wide as well, not that it matters.
54 min The resulting corner was pinged to Llorente on the edge of the area. His shot bounced up and hit the hand of White – he knew nothing about it but his arm was well away from his body, and we all know what that means in the modern game.
54 min This is going to be a penalty for Atletico…
53 min: Double chance for Atletico!
Oblak’s long kick is touched off deftly by Griezmann to Alvarez. He puts Lookman through on goal, and his shot – too close to the keeper – is beaten away by Raya. Griezmann’s follow-up hits the elbow of Gabriel, wrapped tight to his side, and flies over the bar.
49 min: Just wide from Alvarez! The resulting free-kick is curled extravagantly over the wall and into the side netting by Alvarez. It was a brilliant effort, though the diving Raya may have had it covered. Plenty of home fans thought it was in when they saw the net ripple.
48 min Atletico have started the second half with greater intensity. Cardozo is fouled 25 yards from goal by Gyokeres, a very similar challenge to the one that led to Arsenal’s penalty.
46 min Arsenal get the second half under way, and why not.
Half-time substitution Atletico have brought on Robin Le Normand for Giuliano Simeone. Marcos Llortente has moved to the right of midfield.
Half-time reading
Half time: Atletico Madrid 0-1 Arsenal
It’s 1-0 to the Arsenal thanks to Viktor Gyokeres’s 19th goal of the season. They were nervous for the first few minutes but once they got going they dictated the tempo of an unsurprisingly hard-fought game. Atletico have work to do.
45 min At first I thought Gyokeres’s penalty was right in the corner. Replays show it was potentially saveable, as it went between Oblak’s arms and into the net. That said, Gyokeres hit it with punishing force.
GOAL! Atletico 0-1 Arsenal (Gyokeres 44 pen)
Viktor Gyokeres smashes the penalty into the net! Jan Oblak went the right way, to his right, but was beaten for pace.
44 min Atletico are fuming. It wasn’t a stonewall penalty, but there was a decent amount of contact and it was never going to be overturned.
42 min: Penalty to Arsenal!
Zubimendi plays a give-and-go with Odegaard before guiding a nice ball into Gyokere in the area. He takes a touch and is about to shoot when Hancko runs into him from behind. Gyokeres goes over and the penalty is given.
42 min Atletico break through Simeone on the right. His cross is cut out by Gabriel and collected by Alvarez, who is importantly dispossessed on the edge of the area by Rice. Good defending.
40 min Alvarez’s shot in the 14th minute remains the only effort on target. Martinelli tries to change that with a speculative curler from the left edge of the area; Llorente heads it away.
38 min “At this stage in last night’s game we already had forty-nine goals,” writes Peadar de Búrca. “And look, there’s more to the beautiful game than multiple goalgasms, but what I’m finding it hard to live without is the visual appeal of Kvaratskhelia’s frictionless hip-to-shoulder swagger. Is this how Elizabeth Bennet felt when Mr Darcy pulled on his socks and shorts and scored a hattrick for the Herfordshire Harriers?”
I’m afraid I don’t understand that reference. Could you translate it into Dawson’s Creek.
36 min Alvarez nicks a pass out of defence from Arsenal and has a shot blocked. Atletico are definitely setting traps for the Arsenal back four/five.
35 min “I know you can’t pick and choose these things,” begins Ben Watson, “but to me it feels like the Premier League might not come around for Arsenal again if they don’t win it this year, whereas a bit of form in the latter stages can always lead to a Champs League (final / win).
“So while beating either Munich or PSG in a final would be a real achievement, Arsenal really need to win the league this year. Amiright?”
Aye, were I an Arsenal fan I think I’d want the Premier League more, counter-intuirive as it sounds.
34 min It feels like this first half is being played on Arsenal’s terms rather than Atletico’s. It’s still an even game but the slow-slowwww-quick tempo is more to Arsenal’s liking.
30 min: Just wide from Madueke!
Rice wins the ball superbly in the Atletico half and finds Odegaard. He touches it off to Madueke, who marches infield and flashes a curling shot from 25 yards with his left foot. Oblak dives to his right and the the ball goes just wide.
29 min Ruggeri’s cross is headed over from 12 yards by Alvarez, an imaginative effort but a very tough chance.
26 min Arsenal will be really pleased with how quiet they have kept the great Antoine Griezmann. There has been a bit more threat from Julian Alvarez, but nothing you wouldn’t expect in a game like this.
24 min Arsenal’s first corner of the night is a load of nonsense, underhit by Madueke and headed away by Griezmann.
