Referee Danny Makkelie awarded Arsenal a penalty when Eberechi Eze was caught by David Hancko’s outstretched leg, only for VAR to send him to the monitor. To Arteta’s horror, Makkelie changed his mind after seeing what looked to be 12 or 13 replays of the incident on the pitchside monitor. The referee appeared to decide that the contact was not strong enough
"The referee struggled under the pressure to get the right decision."@JOYPAULIAN and @AdamHuntSport discuss the controversial decision on the foul on Eberechi Eze. ⁉️ pic.twitter.com/17eEvApSZB
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 30, 2026
Mikel Arteta did not hide his fury. “What I’m incredibly fuming with is how the hell the penalty on Eze gets overturned when there is no clear and obvious error,” he said. “And this changes the course of the game. At this level, I’m sorry, but this cannot happen.”
The other major talking point was Ben White’s handball, which did stand after VAR review, allowing Julian Alvarez to equalise Viktor Gyokeres’ first‑half spot‑kick. Arteta accepted that decision under UEFA’s handball rules, but argued the Eze call was “against the rules.”
Pundits noted that in the Premier League, the Eze penalty would likely not have been overturned. The tie remains finely poised ahead of the second leg at the Emirates.