Arsenal and Atletico Madrid played to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on May 1, 2026, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. The match was marked by a controversial VAR decision that overturned a late penalty for Arsenal, leaving their manager Mikel Arteta fuming.
Julian Alvarez opened the scoring for Atletico Madrid with a penalty after a handball by Ben White. Arsenal equalized through Viktor Gyokeres, who converted a penalty after being fouled by David Hancko. The match featured high tension as both teams sought an advantage.
Mikel Arteta expressed his disappointment regarding the VAR decision, stating, “I’m extremely disappointed and annoyed. It was against the rules and changes the course of the tie. I’m very upset.” Diego Simeone, manager of Atletico Madrid, defended the decision, saying, “In my humble opinion, the player feels contact on his back and he drops down.”
This result means Arsenal has equalled their longest-ever unbeaten run in the Champions League with 13 consecutive games without defeat. Declan Rice completed 83 passes, marking the second-most by an English midfielder in a Champions League semi-final on record.
Atletico Madrid is contesting their second successive Champions League semi-final for the first time in their history. They aim to build on this momentum as they prepare for the return leg.
Arsenal’s next match is against Fulham in the Premier League before facing Atletico Madrid again in the second leg. Observers expect both teams to come out strong as they fight for a place in the final.
