Arteta said Arsenal were “fuming” after the referee reversed his original decision, with the tie now heading back to north London level.
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Mikel Arteta was left furious after Arsenal had a second-half penalty overturned by VAR in their Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid, with the manager insisting the decision “cannot happen” after a 1-1 draw in Spain.
Arsenal left Madrid with a credible result, but the sense of frustration was obvious. In a match shaped by fine margins, Arteta’s side believed they had been given the chance to retake control of the tie when Bukayo Saka found Eberechi Eze in the box and the Arsenal attacker went down after being clipped as he turned. The referee initially pointed to the spot, only for VAR to intervene and recommend an on-field review.
After watching the incident repeatedly, the referee reversed his decision, a call that left Arsenal angered, particularly after Atletico had already been awarded a penalty when the ball struck Ben White’s hand.
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
That decision was harsh by the standards of the Premier League, but Arteta accepted that it fell within the stricter European interpretation. What he could not accept was the decision to overturn Arsenal’s penalty when he felt there was no clear and obvious error.
“The decision and then what happens for a period of time,” Arteta said. “The referee has to watch it 13 times – it’s clearer than that. It’s impossible, and yeah, we are all fuming about it.”
Asked whether the reaction from the Atletico crowd and bench had influenced the decision, Arteta rejected that suggestion, but made clear he felt the rules had not been applied consistently.
“That has nothing to do with that,” he said. “I’m sure they are very well aware of what the reaction is going to be. It’s normal, that reaction, we need to apply the rules.
“The same thing that I’m saying, that they applied the rules on Ben White’s penalty, that is difficult to accept, but it is a penalty with a handbook. And what they said at the beginning of the season, Ebs is a clear and very obvious penalty. That’s it.”
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Arteta was also asked whether the VAR process itself needed to be examined, but he focused instead on the decision and the way it was changed.
“I don’t know, that’s their job. They have a process, and whatever they do, they should believe it’s the right thing. I have nothing to say. I’m just saying, I’m just judging the action and the manner that happens and the way it got overturned.”
The Arsenal manager was especially frustrated by the importance of the moment. At 1-1, a penalty would have given his side the chance to leave Madrid with a first-leg lead before the return at the Emirates.
“Yes, but when you have fought so hard for nine months to be in this position, that’s another goal that changed completely in the course of the tie, and it cannot happen – I’m sorry,” Arteta said. “We put so much on it, so, so, so much on it. This cannot happen.”
Asked whether Arsenal would complain to UEFA, Arteta said the club would have to decide, while admitting there was no way of changing the immediate consequence of the call.
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images
“I don’t know, I’ll 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 gone, and that’s it. Let’s talk about football.”
Arteta was also asked whether the referee needed to be stronger in sticking with his decision once he had awarded the penalty.
“I’m not here to judge the process, it’s their process,” he replied.
“It’s a decision that they clear. Okay, they stick to it, because that’s the rules. What does it mean coaching the players to accept that? When there is something different, when you play in the same part of the Champions League and change it, it cannot happen.”
For all the anger, Arteta still took pride in Arsenal’s performance. They avoided defeat in one of Europe’s most hostile environments and will return home knowing victory in London would send them to the Champions League final.
The manager made clear that, despite the frustration, his players had kept themselves alive in the tie.
“I’m very proud, I said that to the boys,” he said.
“We’ve handled any kind of context for nine and a half months, which is remarkable. I really value what they’ve done because I’ve seen some of the best teams in the world fall apart here.
“We didn’t get the result that we wanted. The way we planned the game, we wanted to win it, but at least it’s in our hands, in front of our people, to be in that final. And in a week’s time, we’re going to have the opportunity to do so.”
