Gyökeres and Alvarez on spot as VAR controversy denies Arsenal at Atlético

Arteta’s stated aim was to get on the front foot and dominate and it was certainly a blow to him that Buakyo Saka and Eberechi Eze were fit enough only to be among the substitutes. Kai Havertz was missing altogether. What Arteta really wanted were periods of possession to draw Atlético’s sting, which he got more and more of as the first-half wore on. Declan Rice was cool and collected on the ball and Arsenal’s movement was good, the options there.

Atlético flickered in the early going. Rice had to block from Alvarez and the hosts had the moment when they pieced together a lengthy passing move from back to front on 15 minutes that ended with Alvarez unloading a shot from the edge of the area. David Raya turned it behind.

Viktor Gyökeres smashes home from the penalty spot after he had been brought down to give Arsenal the lead at half-time. Photograph: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Arsenal’s approach was always going to be a patient one. Gradually, they took control of the first half. Noni Madueke was in the mood on the right, his pace a threat. When he cut inside and shot on the half hour, the ball fizzed just past the far post. Before that, Gyökeres had got the better of Marcos Llorente up the left to pull back and Martin Ødegaard was denied by a Johnny Cardoso block. It was a clear chance.

The penalty sparked outrage among the locals. It stemmed from Arsenal’s increasing territorial dominance. Atlético could not get out and when Arsenal regained the ball and worked it up and into the box, Martín Zubimendi playing the final pass, Gyökeres had the position on David Hancko, whose efforts to rectify the situation were clumsy. Gyökeres felt the contact from behind and went down. The power in his conversion from the spot brooked no argument.

Simeone knew that he had to change things for the second-half and his move was a dramatic one. He hooked his son, Guiliano, from the right wing and introduced an extra centre-half in Robin Le Normand. Llorente was essentially given the whole of the right flank; a wing-back come right winger.

Atlético were immediately better and the stadium bounced to a delirious beat after Alvarez lashed home his penalty. Moments earlier, Ademola Lookman had been denied by Raya and Antoine Griezmann could not convert the rebound. He appeared to want too much time and Gabriel Magalhães blocked.

Ben White was adjudged to have handled the ball after the intervention of the VAR, and Julián Álvarez scored from the resulting penalty. Photograph: Ángel Martínez/Getty Images

The second penalty award had Arsenal raging because Ben White knew nothing about the ball-smashed-hard-at his hand moment after an Atlético corner. It was Llorente with the shot and White was found guilty by the video assistant referee as his hand was stretched low and away from his body. Alvarez’s penalty was emphatic and Atlético scented blood. Griezmann hit the crossbar with a wonderfully floated effort and seconds later, blasted in a volley that deflected wide.

Arteta made his substitutions, Eze on first, then Saka as part of a triple change that also saw the introductions of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus. Atlético blew a huge chance for 2-1 when Lookman got the better of White and he had to score. Only he shot too close to Raya.

The passions raged and they threatened to spill over when Eze felt a slight contact from Hancko inside the box in the 78th minute. Down he went and Makkelie, pointed to the spot. Advised to check on the pitch-side monitor and in the face of incredible pressure, led by Simeone, the referee reversed his original decision. It was chaos. Arsenal finished with the edge.