Arteta Fumes as Arsenal Robbed of Second Penalty in Atletico Madrid Draw
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta criticized VAR for overturning a penalty decision in the 1-1 Champions League semifinal draw with Atletico Madrid, calling the reversal "completely unacceptable" and claiming clear contact was evident in the inc
Arsenal manager Miguel Arteta expressed his frustration over the controversial overturn of a second penalty in the Gunners' 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg on April 29. Arsenal scored first through Victor Osimhen's penalty in the 44th minute, before Atletico equalized via Julian Alvarez's penalty in the 56th minute. However, in the 78th minute, after Bukayo Saka crossed for Abericio Azeez who was knocked down by David Hanslik, the referee awarded a penalty to Arsenal. The decision was overturned after VAR review, with the referee determining no foul had occurred. After the match, Arteta criticized the referee's decision to overturn the penalty, saying: "After going back inside, speaking with teammates, and reviewing the penalty incident again, it's very disappointing and frustrating because it broke the rules and changed the outcome of the match. I'm deeply sorry." He added: "The entire sequence shows clear contact. You made your decision. You can't change that decision after reviewing it 13 times. It's completely unacceptable at this level. It was a wrong decision." The 44-year-old manager also expressed pride in his team's performance and emphasized their focus on the second leg at home on May 5, saying they want to win and reach the final.
