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Arsenal and Atletico Draw 1-1 in Champions League Semi-Final First Leg

A late VAR reversal leaves questions before the London decider.

Overview

  • At the Metropolitano on Wednesday, Viktor Gyokeres scored a first‑half penalty for Arsenal before Julian Alvarez equalised from the spot after a Ben White handball.
  • Referee Danny Makkelie later pointed to the spot for an apparent foul on Eberechi Eze, then overturned the call on review after judging the contact to be minimal.
  • Mikel Arteta called the reversal the wrong decision and said VAR should not overturn an on‑field penalty for that level of contact.
  • Former referee Mark Halsey said the incident did not meet the “clear and obvious” threshold and argued VAR should not have intervened.
  • The tie is level heading into the May 5 second leg at the Emirates, with Atletico assessing Alvarez after he left late with an apparent injury.