Arsenal draw 1-1 with Atletico after VAR overturns late penalty call
VAR wiped out Arsenal’s late penalty in Madrid, leaving a 1-1 semi-final that may be remembered as much for the review as the goals.
Arsenal left the Metropolitano with a 1-1 draw that felt far more volatile than the scoreline. Viktor Gyokeres put Mikel Arteta’s side ahead from the spot in the 44th minute, Julian Alvarez levelled for Atletico Madrid 11 minutes into the second half, and a late Arsenal penalty that could have tilted the tie was erased after a VAR review.
The decisive controversy arrived in the 78th minute, when Eberechi Eze went down under David Hancko’s challenge and referee Danny Makkelie initially pointed to the spot. VAR sent him to the monitor, and Makkelie reversed the call. In plain English, the officials decided the contact did not meet the threshold for a penalty once the incident was reviewed again, a judgment that turned a possible 2-1 lead into a warning that the tie would stay level heading to London.
Arteta did not hide his anger. He called the overturned decision “completely unacceptable” and said it “changes the course of the tie,” arguing that the sequence should not have been overturned after the referee had already made an on-field decision. Atletico midfielder Koke took the opposite view on the opening penalty, calling it “doubtful,” but he also insisted his side recovered and had chances to win the match outright.
The result leaves the semi-final finely balanced ahead of the second leg on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. That venue carries real context: Arsenal beat Atletico 4-0 there in the league phase earlier this season, a result that still hangs over this rematch even after Atletico protected home ground in Madrid. UEFA’s fixtures page lists the tie at 1-1 and confirms the return leg in London.
The broader stakes are clear. Arsenal are chasing only their second Champions League final, while Atletico are trying to get back to the final for the first time since 2016. Alvarez’s equaliser was his 10th Champions League goal of the season, and he was later withdrawn with an apparent injury, adding another layer of concern for Diego Simeone’s side after a night already defined by refereeing scrutiny rather than control of the game. The other semi-final, PSG’s 5-4 win over Bayern Munich, raised the temperature further and underscored how much Arsenal and Atletico left on the table. The tie is still alive, but the argument over VAR credibility may now travel to north London with the teams.
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