A Raucous crowd greeted both teams onto a pitch which had come under some scrutiny before the game. During the opening few minutes, a couple of players slipped over and Raya made one scooped clearance which had me wondering about the surface but afterwards the game settled down and there was no real problems.
In previous matches there had been some questions asked (online mainly) about a front trio of Martinelli, Madueke and Gyokeres but given the recent injury to Havertz and the fitness question marks over Saka and Trossard, there didn’t seem too many alternatives for Arteta to consider.
Atletico came out fast looking to impose their game onto the Gunners but the Arsenal back four stood firm and the Arsenal midfield of Odegaard, Rice and Zubimendi worked tirelessly to control and dominate. After six minutes and following some smart interplay on the right flank Madueke hit a cross to the far post where both Martinelli and Hincapie attacked the ball unsuccessfully.
The energetic start by Atletico was gradually worn down by Arsenal and they began to press deep into the home team’s half but Atleti were still dangerous on the break. On 14 minutes Raya had to make a great save from Alvarez who struck a low shot to his left. Raya got across well to palm the shot to safety. Almost immediately Arsenal counter-attacked with a long forward pass knocked up to Gyokeres who went neck and neck with a Spanish defender. He managed to keep control and knock the ball across to Odegaard whose low drive was saved.
Arsenal continued to contain most of what Atletico could build whilst looking dangerous themselves but following some Arsenal possession Atleti broke forward and Alvarez again went close with a header after a dangerous cross. Hincapie was once more showing his tenacity both defensively and offensively whilst Big Gabby and Bill were solid as a rock. Ben White, despite some pre match anxiety from online critics, was having a decent game as well. Noni, was causing some issues for the Atleti left back and on the half hour he left him in his wake as he cut in and fired a blistering shot across the face of goal, which went narrowly wide and had Oblak looking concerned.
More Arsenal dominance led to a great chance for Gyokeres who got goalside of his marker but as he was preparing to shoot he was bundled over and the referee pointed to the spot. Following the VAR circus Viktor smashed home the spot kick for his 19th goal of the season and we hit half-time feeling very contented. Arsenal had for the most part dominated the 1st half with a performance of consummate professionalism.
Half-Time 0-1
With a big 45 coming up for both teams, Simeone made a big change, taking off a winger and sending on a centre back. It meant a switch in system to a back three with wing backs and that nullified our wide men and flooded the midfield. From then on Atletico assumed more control in midfield and Arsenal less so. In the opening moments of the restart Alverez took a blistering free kick from way out and it just swerved wide with Raya looking beaten. Alverez was a constant threat and if this was some kind of an audition, then he passed with flying colours. Atleti continued to up the tempo as they sensed a swing in the game and Arsenal were looking less assured and on 53 minutes following some good work by Alverez, Lookman almost equalised but Raya blocked his shot and Gabriel blocked the follow up attempt by Griezmann.
Minutes later a VAR review found that White had handled the ball and Alverez smashed home the equaliser. Immediately afterwards a seemingly fit Odegaard came off to be replaced by Eze – I wonder how fit he really was?
Arsenal dug in and Atletico went for it knowing they probably needed a lead to take to London and Griezmann hit the bar. The game was getting stretched and Arsenal needed more technical security up front to help reduce the stress on our defence. Arteta must have heard me and sent on Jesus, Saka and Trossard on 68 minutes for Viktor, Noni and Martinelli, all three had become less influential.
It took a while for Saka and Trossard to get up to speed but Eze was becoming more of a threat. Even so, on 74 Lookman got free again in the Arsenal box and looked certain to score but again he fired straight at Raya who comfortably saved. Then on 78 minutes another Eze dribble saw him tripped in the box, penalty? Yes said the ref but VAR got busy as they love to do and possibly because of Simeone’s constant and quite obvious begging for a review, persuaded the referee to change his mind.
Mikel Arteta:
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, I’m very, very upset.
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.
Atletico had run out of gas a tad as the game drifted into the last 10 minutes (plus 7 minutes added time) and both Mosquera (on for White), from an Eze pass and Rice had efforts on goal. Slightly to the left or right and Mosquera scores with his dipping shot but it was straight at Oblak. Rice’s drive from distance went just wide so no repeat of his Real Madrid heroics. The game petered out but if you’d offered me 1-1 before kick off I’d have taken it.
Overall I thought that Arsenal played well, probably not enough to win it but on another day with another referee we could have. Atletico were dangerous in flashes and missed a few really good chances but for all their huffing and puffing, the Gunners pretty much kept them at arms length.
Whoever wins out of Bayern or PSG, won’t I imagine, want to face the Gunners in Budapest.
We March On.
By Kev
Well done Kev, whatever happened to “clear and obvious”?
The commentators were burbling about the White penalty, how it wouldn’t have been given in the Premiership. I beg to differ, if it was against Arsenal and any one of several northern based referees was officiating then it would be a nailed on certainty.
Hincapie just gets better and better.
Cheers Cicero, yes I think it’s a penalty in the EPL as well, the commentators add pretty much bugger all to the to viewing experience.
Thanks Kev. An absorbing match and a fair assessment from your good self. That’s a run of thirteen matches undefeated in the CL, matching our previous best back in ’05/’06. IMPRESSIVE is the word. If we get to fifteen, will you paint your sherbet red and white?
Thanks Stu, unfortunately I have one of those all over adverts on my taxi and it’s quite a boring one at that. I’m not sure what I’d do if we went 15 unbeaten, probably go out into the street and jump about like a lunatic?
Excellent post Kev, thank you and good morning to you and all.
VAR went against the rules last night. Shocking.
Unlike Arsenal who I thought were very good for most of the game. Jesus gave us a timely reminder of why he needs to find a new club and unfortunately for Trossard, he does too. Eze is definitely better at taking us forward than Odegaard. Imo at least..
Cheers Rico, thanks for the edit, the referee was weak and allowed VAR to officiate for him, it’s becoming endemic in the game.
Brown envelopes perhaps Kev.
Incompetence and cowardice I reckon Rico.
Hincapie is one of the best left backs we’ve had in a while imo. So concentrated on his defensive duties and gets forward when it’s right rather than just because he can.
Arsenal was awarded another penalty in the 78th after Eberechi Eze was brought down by David Hancko inside the area, but the call was overturned — several moments later — after a video review. The only comment in Marca this morning , El Mundo are concentrating on Arteta’s reaction and casting doubt on the Arsenal penalty. So far I can’t much about the ref apart from the bit that says Arsenal’s penalty was doubtful . I will ask some friends in Spain about how their television is reacting.
Keith Hackett, ex ref, says the Eze penalty should have stood because it was given on field.
The White penalty would not have been awarded in the PL, albeit with the officials we have it might have been. More to the point imo is why are there different rules in England and Europe when all clubs are playing the same game?
Seems as if the press in Spain and the press in England are going to ramp up any perceived or otherwise feelings of being unfairly treated. For the Spanish, Atletico are their last hope of La Liga getting a finalist and remember the Spanish media think that the European Cup belongs to them!
The 2nd leg could be a very tasty affair with the Arsenal crowd giving Simeone and his team a taste of their own medicine. It should be a cracker…
Thanks for the match report, Kev, you’re very good at them.
Very mature performance, Gyokeres and Madueke stepped up, Raya and the defence in general were solid, and now the dust has settled, we were robbed!
Hancko stood on Eze’s foot and didn’t get near the ball. Penalty all day long, there was no need for a VAR intervention.
Apparently they only looked at it from one angle, obviously the Atletico/Simeone angle.
At the elite level with a global audience people will soon lose faith if they keep making blatant bad calls and poor decisions.
Arsenal have done the hard work and hopefully finish the job on Tuesday at a raucus noisy Emirates.
Fulham to take care of before that of course in another must win game.
Potentially six games from our greatest season ever and it’s getting tasty.
Thanks Dennis, I don’t think that UEFA will give a toss regardless of the global audience, after all Arsenal aren’t european football royalty like say Bayern and latterly PSG so any complaints from us will simply be ignored. I’d imagine that those at UEFA HQ would probably much prefer Atletico reaching the final in Budapest as they don’t really like the omnipresence of the Premier League.
Looks like Odegaard’s knee injury has flared up again, might be sensible to leave him out of this weekends game. Never mind we’ve still got Ethan haven’t we?!!!
That could be a blessing in disguise Kev…