We take a 1-1 aggregate scoreline back to Emirates Stadium next week, following our Champions League semi-final draw with Atletico Madrid.
Viktor Gyokeres’ penalty gave us a first-half lead in the Spanish capital, before Atletico replicated it through Julian Alvarez following the interval.
Mikel Arteta addressed the media following the first leg result, and you can read what the boss had to say here:
on his thoughts on the game:
What a privilege to play the Champions League semi-final in this stadium – what energy, what an atmosphere they created. We had big parts of the game, very similar to what we wanted, and we went ahead with the penalty. Unfortunately, in the second half we started a bit sloppy, with certain giveaways and giving them some momentum, and that’s the moment that they used it.
That’s something that we knew we had to go through, in the manner that we gave the penalty, very disappointed. In the Premier League, it’s not a penalty, but here I have to accept that with the rules and how consistent they’ve been, for example, yesterday with Bayern Munich, I accept that this is a handball. What I am incredibly fuming with, is how the penalty on Ebs gets overturned in the manner that it happened, when it’s not a clear and obvious error – this changes the course of the game. At this level, I’m sorry, but this cannot happen.
on if he’s had an explanation on the overturned penalty:
The decision and then what happens for a period of time. The referee has to watch it 13 times – it’s clearer than that. It’s impossible, and yeah, we are all fuming about it.
on if the Atletico crowd and bench had an impact on the decision:
That has nothing to do with that. 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.
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Highlights: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Arsenal
on if the VAR process needs looking at:
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.
on if we will use the overturned penalty as fuel for next week:
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. We put so much on it, so, so, so much on it. This cannot happen.
on if we will make a complaint about the decision to UEFA:
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.
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Saka relishing second-leg N5 noise
on if it was another big Viktor Gyokeres display:
I think he had a very strong first half, especially when we were more dominant. He created the goal and the penalty, and he was ice-cool to score it in the manner that he did. The second half changed a little bit, credit to them, but there are a lot of things that we need to do much, much, much better, and I think then we had to change. I think the game changed as well, and we ended up finishing on top.
on if the referee needs to be stronger in his decision to overturn the penalty:
I’m not here to judge the process, it’s their process. 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.
on how pleased he is with the result:
I’m very proud, I said that to the boys. 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.
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Report: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Arsenal
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