Mikel Arteta ‘incredibly fuming’ at overturned penalty decision in Arsenal draw

A furious Mikel Arteta said he was “incredibly fuming” with VAR’s decision to overturn a late Arsenal penalty in his side’s 1-1 Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid.

Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez both scored from the spot before Dutch referee Danny Makkelie awarded Arsenal a third penalty of the night after Eberechi Eze was sent tumbling by David Hancko’s outstretched right leg with 10 minutes of the semi-final first leg remaining.

However, VAR intervened before Makkelie controversially overturned his own decision.

It was the second VAR intervention of the evening which went against Arsenal after Ben White was adjudged to have handled Marcos Llorente’s volley, which Alvarez converted from the spot.

And Arteta said: “In the manner that we conceded the penalty, we were disappointed. In the Premier League, it’s not a penalty, but here I have to accept that this is handball.

“But what I’m incredibly fuming with is how the hell the penalty on Eze gets overturned in the manner that it happened when there is no clear and obvious error? And this changes the course of the game. And at this level, I’m sorry but this cannot happen.

“When a referee has to watch it 13 times, what is clear about that? It’s impossible and we are all fuming about it. We need to apply the rules.

“When you have fought so hard for nine months to be in this position, that goal could have completely changed 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.”

Asked if he would take up the incident with UEFA, Arteta replied: “I think that it’s up to the club to decide the best thing to do. Now they’re not going to give us a penalty. That’s gone. And that’s it. That’s over.”

Pre