Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was left "incredibly fuming" after a late penalty decision was overturned by VAR in their 1-1 Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
The Gunners took the lead through Viktor Gyokeres' first-half penalty, but Julian Alvarez equalized from the spot after a contentious handball call against Ben White. The major flashpoint came in the final minutes when referee Danny Makkelie initially awarded Arsenal a penalty after Eberechi Eze was caught by David Hancko. However, following a VAR review, the decision was reversed, sparking outrage from the Arsenal bench.
"There is no clear and obvious error," Arteta said after the match. "This changes the course of the game. At this level, this cannot happen." He added that the referee watched the replay 13 times, questioning why such extensive review was needed if the call was clear.
The incident draws comparisons to a similar penalty awarded to Arsenal against Bayer Leverkusen last month, where slight contact was deemed sufficient for a spot-kick. Uefa sources had previously indicated that while soft, such decisions should stand if the on-field referee calls them. Critics argue Wednesday's overturn was inconsistent with that logic.
Arsenal will look to capitalize on their away goal in next week's second leg at the Emirates Stadium, but the controversy over the disallowed penalty is likely to linger.