Madrid, April 30 (IANS) Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said that decision to scrub off the penalty award for Eberechi Eze “changed the course of the game” after the Gunners were pegged back to draw 1-1 at Atletico Madrid in the first -lef of the UEFA Champions League semfinal.

Viktor Gyokeres’ first-half penalty gave Arsenal the lead just before half-time, but after a period of pressure after the restart, Julian Alverez also netted from 12 yards to level things up.

A third spot-kick was awarded with 13 minutes to play when Ebere Eze was brought down inside the box but a VAR intervention saw the decision overturned, denying gunners the opportunity to cap a fine display with a victory before the sides meet again in N5 in six days’ time.

Substitute Eze went to ground in the box when he was challenged by David Hancko on 78 minutes. There was foot-on-foot contact and the Gunners looked set to have the opportunity to retake the lead.

However, a lengthy VAR check sent referee Danny Makkelie to the monitor to reassess his decision, which he controversially overturned given there was obvious contact and the game finished level, ahead of the second leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

“What I am incredibly fuming with is how the penalty on Ebs gets overturned in the manner that it happened when it’s not a clear and obvious error – this changes the course of the game. At this level, I’m sorry, but this cannot happen.

“The decision and then what happens for a period of time. The referee has to watch it 13 times – it’s clearer than that. It’s impossible, and yeah, we are all fuming about it, Arteta told reporters in the post-match press conference.

Speaking about if the club will make a complaint about the decision to UEFA, Arteta said, “I don’t know, I’ll leave that to the club to decide what’s the best thing to do. Now they’re not going to give us a penalty. That’s gone, and that’s it. Let’s talk about football.”

Asked if the Atletico crowd and bench had an impact on the decision, he added, “That has nothing to do with that. I’m sure they are very well aware of what the reaction is going to be. It’s normal, that reaction, we need to apply the rules.

“The same thing that I’m saying, that they applied the rules on Ben White’s penalty, that is difficult to accept, but it is a penalty with a handbook. And what they said at the beginning of the season, Ebs is a clear and very obvious penalty.”

“I don’t know, that’s their job. They have a process, and whatever they do, they should believe it’s the right thing. I have nothing to say. I’m just saying, I’m just judging the action and the manner that happens and the way it got overturned.

Arteta further said he we will use the overturned penalty as fuel for the second leg of the semifinal. “Yes, but when you have fought so hard for nine months to be in this position, that’s another goal that changed completely in 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,” he said.

–IANS

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