Arsenal held against Atletico Madrid as VAR heavily influences Champions League clash

Callum Vurley
Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:24:44 +0000

Arsenal secured a valuable away draw in their Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid, with the contest finishing 1-1 after a dramatic encounter dominated by penalty decisions and VAR.

Viktor Gyokeres fired the Gunners ahead from the spot just before half-time, but Julian Alvarez restored parity for the Spanish hosts with an equally emphatic penalty conversion early in the second period.

The tie remains delicately poised heading into next Tuesday's return fixture at the Emirates, where Mikel Arteta's side will look to book their place in only their second Champions League final in the club's history.

The Swedish striker earned the spot-kick moments before the interval when he positioned himself cleverly between the ball and defender David Hancko, drawing contact before going to ground.

Although Jan Oblak correctly anticipated the direction of the penalty, the sheer power of Gyokeres' strike proved impossible to stop, thundering into the net.

The former Coventry forward, who joined Arsenal from Sporting Lisbon for £63.5 million, has now converted all 20 penalties he has taken in major matches – a remarkable record that underlines his composure from twelve yards.

Diego Simeone and the home players protested furiously, but a swift VAR review confirmed the original decision.

The hosts emerged for the second half with renewed intensity, pinning Arsenal back in their own territory. Alvarez curled a free-kick narrowly wide before Ademola Lookman forced David Raya into action, with Gabriel Magalhaes producing a crucial block to deny Antoine Griezmann's follow-up effort.

Atletico's equaliser arrived when Marcos Llorente's strike from distance deflected off Ben White's leg onto his hand, prompting referee Danny Makkelie to point to the spot following a VAR review.

Alvarez's conversion matched Gyokeres' for quality, rocketing into the top corner with such velocity that Raya barely moved.

Griezmann then struck the crossbar, while Lookman squandered a glorious opportunity by firing straight at the Arsenal goalkeeper from close range.

Substitute Eberechi Eze appeared to have won Arsenal a decisive late penalty in the 78th minute when he tumbled under another challenge from Hancko inside the area.

No penalty for Arsenal after the VAR review ❌

What do you make of that decision?

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Makkelie initially pointed to the spot for the third time in the match, but after consulting the pitchside monitor, the Dutch official reversed his decision, judging the contact to be insufficient.

The home supporters celebrated the reprieve, though Arsenal continued pressing until the final whistle, with Cristhian Mosquera testing Oblak from distance.

The Gunners will take encouragement from their 4-0 victory over Atletico at the Emirates during the group stage as they prepare for Saturday's Premier League clash with Fulham.