It was hard not to feel a little frustrated in the immediate aftermath of Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday evening.
Of course, that is down to the incredibly harsh, ‘it’s always given in the Champions League but why is it always given in the Champions League?’ handball penalty given against Ben White, thereby allowing Julian Alvarez to level the scores up from the spot. And then the penalty referee Danny Makkelie awarded to Eberechi Eze when he was fouled in the box, only to be talked out of it by the VAR, Diego Simeone and 60,000 Atleti fans.
Genuinely, if Mikel Arteta behaved as Simeone had on Wednesday night, we’d still reading “think” pieces about it into the summer….
I wasn’t impressed with the referee, generally, at the Wanda Metropolitano. I think, when Atletico turned the heat up in the second half after a curiously passive first 45, he struggled to cope just as much as our boys did, letting the crowd referee the game. Perhaps there was something inevitable about the VAR overturn, but it did leave rather a sour taste in the mouth.
I can accept, cos the rules are the rules and everyone knows them, the handball call on White, but UEFA have got to look at this. The penalty was given for a shot that was going wide, hit White on the shin and immediately deflected off his arm. What’s he supposed to do there? Have no arms? It can’t be right that you’re basically giving a team a goal in that scenario.
Anyway, I think to most commentators and observers, 1-1 on the night was a fair scoreline. Arsenal had to weather the storm a bit in the early stages, before dominating the majority of the first half. They were good value for their goal, another penalty slammed into the corner by Viktor Gyokeres after he himself was fouled. Madueke was lively on the right, Odegaard might have scored after great work from Gyokeres if only he had a right foot and Arteta’s tactical tweak of dropping Declan Rice in between the centre backs to build play worked beautifully. Our midfield general was imperious.
As I mentioned, as you saw, Atleti built up quite a head of steam in the first half of the second half and Arsenal were grateful to the crossbar when it saved them from Griezemann and to Lookman for staying on his feet, when he could have gone down – only to shoot straight at Raya. But as the half wore on, and once Eze, Saka and a curiously out of sorts Trossard arrived on the pitch, Arsenal gradually wrestled control back from the hosts.
Eze, in particular, looked born for this stage and it, seems to me, if Arsenal are going to lift either of the trophies we are currently still in for, the boyhood Gooner is going to have a rather large say in how we do it.
It’s a little disappointing not to have a lead to take back to the Emirates for next Tuesday (did I really just write that sentence? Yes, yes I did)
However, with Atleti needing to score to win the tie or face the lottery of a penalty shoot out, at least we know they can’t just come to our place and try to run the clock down. I can only wonder if Julian Alvarez will be okay to play next week as he seemed to in considerable pain whenever he was tackled on Wednesday. Never seen anything like it, seriously.
Mikel will, I’m sure, be looking for a performance along the lines of our last home game with Madrid’s second club when we steamrollered them 4-0 in an imperious second-half display.
I’m sure like me, you have mates, or even mates of mates, who do not like Arsenal. After the first semi final, one such person on the “Wayne’s Chicken Club” (don’t ask) WhatsApp group me I share with my Leeds mates, said simply “I hope Arsenal beat Atletico”. To be clear, he doesn’t want Arsenal to win. He wants us to be humiliated in Budapest and, whether it’s by PSG, or Bayern, he cares not.
But this Arsenal team doesn’t get humiliated anymore. This is how far we’ve come. Everyone is watching and waiting for us to, as one contributor to F365 put it recently, “step on a rake again”. Over the last 3 Champions League seasons, we have travelled over land and sea and grown stronger, what doesn’t kill you etc… On Tuesday night, Arsenal stand one home win away from the Champions League final, their first in 20 years.
It’s been a long time coming, but history beckons.
- One win till Budapest: Madrid VAR drama won’t stop ArsenalIt was hard not to feel a little frustrated in the immediate aftermath of Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday evening.
- 3 out, 1 doubt: Arsenal injury latest ahead of Fulham clashKai Havertz and Jurrien Timber are out of Saturday’s match between Arsenal and Fulham and Martin Odegaard is a doubt, but Havertz is pushing to be back against Atletico Madrid.
- Rodri injury update ahead of Everton-Manchester CityPep Guardiola has confirmed that Rodri is improving after injury, though he’s still yet to train with the team ahead of Manchester City’s trip away to Everton.
- Fulham match-winner to miss Arsenal through injuryLast week’s match-winner Ryan Sessegnon is set to miss Fulham’s match at Arsenal due to injury, as one of a few likely absentees.
- Arsenal approve ‘meet the team bus’ event pre-Atletico clashArsenal fans will be encouraged to welcome the team bus to the Emirates Stadium ahead of Tuesday’s match against Atletico Madrid, in a break from the usual matchday traditions.