Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has voiced his outrage following Arsenal’s 1-1 stalemate against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg, claiming the Gunners were unfairly treated by the officiating. Speaking on BBC Radio 5, Sutton expressed frustration over a controversial penalty decision that was overturned after a VAR review.
The match at the Metropolitano saw both sides convert spot-kicks in the first and second halves, with Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez finding the net from 12 yards. However, the pivotal moment occurred when referee Danny Makkelie initially pointed to the penalty spot after Eberechi Eze went down in the box, only to reverse his call upon consulting the pitchside monitor.
“Arsenal have been absolutely robbed this evening,” Sutton declared. “People can argue the merits, but everyone watching the game tonight saw it. You can talk about Arsenal’s performance and what they lacked, but they would have been in an unbelievable position going into the second leg at the Emirates. Now they have plenty of work to do.”
The draw leaves the tie finely balanced ahead of next week’s return fixture at the Emirates Stadium.