Gyokeres on target as Arsenal draw first leg

Arsenal kept their bid for a first UEFA Champions League final in 20 years firmly alive with a draw at Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their semi-final.

Viktor Gyokeres’ penalty on the stroke of half-time was cancelled out by a spot-kick from former Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez after the break. 

Arsenal were then further frustrated when they were awarded another penalty late on, only for it to be overturned after a VAR check.

But the Premier League leaders were still satisfied to leave Spain with the last-four tie all square ahead of Tuesday’s second leg at Emirates Stadium.

“We are in an incredible position,” Gunners boss Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports. “We have to play in front of our people. It’s in our hands.”

Arsenal have now gone 13 consecutive games without defeat in the Champions League, equalling their record unbeaten run from 2005 to 2006, when they reached the final.

The result and display will boost the Gunners ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Fulham, where a win would take them six points clear at the top of the table.

Asked how he will manage the recovery of his team, Arteta added: “Make sure they eat, sleep, get a lot of love and use every single hour of the day to get in the best position to compete and win.”

Arteta will have been particularly pleased with the performance of Gyokeres, who impressed on his return to the starting line-up in place of the injured Kai Havertz.

The Swedish striker, who was benched for Arsenal’s last two Premier League games, won his side’s penalty when he was shoved over in the box by David Hancko.

And Gyokeres powered the spot-kick past Jan Oblak for his 19th goal of the season – and his 27th consecutive successful penalty conversion for club and country, a run stretching back to March 2024.

“I think he had a very strong first half, especially when we were more dominating,” Arteta said. “He created the goal and the penalty, and he was ice cool to score it in the manner that he did.”

“That is the best Gyokeres has played in an Arsenal shirt,” former Gunners defender Martin Keown told TNT Sports. “Power, pace. That is exactly what you want from your centre forward.”

In the build-up to this match, much of the talk had centred around another striker, Atletico’s Alvarez, after his manager Diego Simeone claimed Arsenal wanted to sign him.

And the Argentina World Cup winner made his mark on the tie in the 56th minute, clinically converting from the spot after Ben White handled Marcos Llorente’s shot in the box.

The goal – only the sixth Arsenal have conceded in 13 European matches this season – prevented David Raya from registering a record-equalling ninth clean sheet in a Champions League campaign.

But the Gunners goalkeeper did well not to concede another, saving from Ademola Lookman and seeing Antoine Griezmann hit the bar.

It looked like the first leg was going to be decided by another penalty when Arsenal substitute Eberechi Eze went down under a challenge from Hancko, but the referee reversed his decision to point to the spot after VAR intervened.

Bukayo Saka was another player brought off the bench by Arteta, with the winger getting 22 valuable minutes under his belt after a brief run-out against Newcastle United on his return from a month-long layoff with an Achilles injury.

What’s next for Arsenal?

The Gunners return to Premier League action on Saturday with a home clash against Fulham at 17:30 BST.

A win would move them six points clear at the top of the table, although they will have played two games more than Manchester City, who visit Everton on Monday night.

See: Arsenal report

Champions League semi-final dates

Second leg:
May 5 – Arsenal v Atletico Madrid
May 6 – Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain