The powers that be at the Emirates Stadium are still seething after a controversial officiating decision denied Arsenal a clear penalty in their Champ...
The powers that be at the Emirates Stadium are still seething after a controversial officiating decision denied Arsenal a clear penalty in their Champions League semi final first leg against Atletico Madrid. Manager Mikel Arteta did not mince words when he confessed to GoalZaza that he is. �fuming. � over the incident that saw Eberechi Eze, the Super Eagles talisman, wrestled to the turf inside the penalty area only for the referee to wave play on.. �This cannot happen at this level,. � Arteta declared, his voice carrying the weight of a man who had watched his side battle to a 1 1 draw in a hostile Spanish cauldron.. �My players gave a good account of themselves, but when you see a clear infringement on a player of Eze. �s quality, you expect the officials to act. It is unacceptable.. � Arsenal had travelled to the Spanish capital with a game plan built on resilience and counter attacking precision. The lion. �s share of the first half belonged to the hosts, but the Gunners held firm, with the Nigerian international Eze tormenting the Atletico defence with his quick feet and direct running. It was from one such burst that the flashpoint occurred. Eze, cutting in from the left, was caught by a clumsy challenge from the Atletico centre back. The contact was clear, the fall dramatic, yet the referee signalled for play to continue. In the scheme of things, the draw is not a disaster for Arsenal. They return to North London with an away goal and the tie firmly in the balance. But Arteta knows that at this stage of the competition, fine margins decide fates.. �We cannot afford to have such decisions go against us,. � he added.. �The players are frustrated, I am frustrated, and the fans deserve better. At the end of the day, we are left to wonder what might have been.. � GoalZaza understands that Arsenal are considering an official complaint to UEFA, though the club will focus on the second leg at the Emirates where they will hope to finish the job with or without the help of the officials. For Eze, the snub will only fuel his desire to make a decisive impact in the return fixture. Back home in Lagos, the mood at the popular Surulere viewing centre was a mix of anger and hope. Fans in Arsenal jerseys shouted at the screen as replays of the incident were shown again and again, with one man in a yellow and blue kit declaring,. �Na so dem dey treat our Nigerian stars for Europe? Eze don suffer am well well.. � Another supporter, clutching a bottle of malt, called for calm.. �We still get this. Arsenal go finish them at the Emirates. Arteta know wetin he dey do.. � The atmosphere was electric, a testament to the passion that this Arsenal side now ignites across the country. As the crowd dispersed, the debate continued into the night: Was it a penalty? Yes. Will justice be served in the second leg? Only time will tell.
