“Cannot happen” Arteta furious at overturned Arsenal penalty v Atletico
“Cannot happen” Arteta furious at overturned Arsenal penalty v Atletico 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.
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