London: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta issued a scathing critique of officiating following a contentious 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, labelling a late VAR intervention "completely unacceptable."

The focal point of the frustration occurred in the 78th minute when substitute Eberechi Eze collapsed in the penalty area following a challenge by David Hancko. Despite initial appearances of foot-on-foot contact, referee Danny Makkelie was prompted by the Video Assistant Referee to review the incident. After an extensive sideline consultation, Makkelie rescinded the penalty he had originally awarded.

"After going back into the dressing room, speaking to the boys and watching the penalty incident, it's extremely disappointing and annoying because it was against the rules and it changes the course of the tie," Arteta told TNT Sports. "I'm very, very upset."

Arteta specifically took aim at the bar for a "clear error" threshold being ignored. "The whole sequence. There is clear contact. You make the decision, you cannot overturn that decision when you have to look at it 13 times. It's completely unacceptable at this level. It's the wrong decision," he added.

When questioned about a potential formal protest to UEFA, Arteta deferred to the Arsenal hierarchy, noting, "Now they're not going to give us a penalty. That's it. That's gone."

A Match of Three Penalties

The stalemate was defined by a trio of spot-kick incidents. Arsenal initially seized the lead before the interval when Viktor Gyokeres was fouled by Hancko and subsequently converted from the mark.

Atletico Madrid's parity was restored in the second half through Julian Alvarez. On that occasion, VAR directed Makkelie to the monitor to review a handball by Arsenal defender Ben White on a Marcos Llorente strike. Though the ball appeared to ricochet off White’s knee before striking his hand, the penalty was upheld.

While Arteta expressed frustration over the Eze incident, he acknowledged the discrepancy in how handball rules are applied continentally. "They have been consistent with that," he admitted. "If you are going to give a penalty for this kind of thing, you have to accept it."

Call for Regulatory Reform

The decision against White fueled a broader debate regarding UEFA’s handball interpretations, following a similarly polarising call involving Alphonso Davies in the other semifinal between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Arteta Remains Defiant

Despite the officiating controversies, Arteta praised his squad’s resilience in a hostile environment where other elite teams have historically struggled.

"I'm very proud, I said that to the boys, the way we handled the context for nine-and-a-half months, just remarkable," he said. "I really value what they've done because I've seen some of the best teams in the world here fall apart and concede three and four."

The manager emphasised that the objective remains unchanged ahead of the return leg. "We didn't get the result that we wanted... At least it is in our hands, in front of our people. We want to be in that final and in a week's time we are going to have the opportunity to do so," Arteta said.

The series shifts to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday for the deciding second leg.