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Arsenal failed to hold their advantage and were left clinging on at the Metropolitano on Wednesday night, settling for a 1–1 stalemate against Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals.
Mikel Arteta's men began steadily, and a largely quiet first half burst into life when Viktor Gyökeres gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot just before the break.
But Atlético Madrid stormed out after halftime and Arsenal were fortunate that Julián Alvarez's spot-kick equalizer was the only real damage the home side inflicted.
The tie is still very much up for grabs ahead of next week's second leg, but despite yet another nervy and unconvincing outing, Arsenal will take confidence that they can get the job done at the Emirates Stadium and reach only their second-ever Champions League final.
Viktor Gyökeres Meets The Moment
It's been a tough debut campaign for Gyökeres in an Arsenal shirt—and that may be an understatement. He's faced relentless criticism for months, yet under enormous pressure, the imposing Swede showed no fear and scored the Gunners' most crucial goal of the season to date.
Gyökeres only found himself in the starting eleven because Kai Havertz suffered yet another injury, forcing Arteta to hand his misfiring striker another chance to prove himself. Gyökeres was once again largely invisible at the Metropolitano—though he did make a sharp run that Martin Ødegaard failed to convert. Then everything shifted just after the 40-minute mark.
The Swede used his powerful frame smartly to hold off David Hancko, who clattered into him inside the penalty area, leaving the referee with no option but to award a spot kick. Given how torrid his season has been, many might have expected Gyökeres to buckle under the pressure, but he showed no hesitation, stepping up and smashing the ball home to hand Arsenal the lead in the tie.
There's no question Gyökeres has left a lot to be desired since arriving at Arsenal last summer, but on Wednesday night, when the Gunners needed him most, he came through.
Arsenal Left Back Giveth, Arsenal Right Back Taketh Away
Piero Hincapié turned in one of his finest performances since joining the Gunners on loan last summer, completely shutting down Giuliano Simeone and Marcos Llorente down the left side. But as impressive as the Ecuadorian was, Ben White on the opposite flank undid Arsenal's efforts with a single moment of madness.
Arteta's side were excellent defensively, with Hincapié setting the tone by neutralizing Atléti's most threatening corridor. But White made another characteristically costly error, inexplicably attempting to block a shot with his arm dangling by his side, conceding an obvious penalty when Llorente's effort deflected off his hand.
Alvarez converted from the spot, making White the villain of the evening—and it could have been far worse had Ademola Lookman not squandered opportunity after opportunity. Arteta will likely regret not sticking with his decision to field Cristhian Mosquera ahead of White, as he had done in their previous European outing.
Hincapié was virtually faultless at the back and made a compelling case for Arsenal to turn his north London loan into a permanent deal. White, on the other hand, gave the club every reason to consider moving him on this summer.
Arsenal Didn't Come Out for Second Half
Rather than using Gyökeres's opener as a springboard to come out with purpose in the second half, Arsenal did the complete opposite, dropping in quality and intensity and allowing Atlético Madrid to thoroughly dominate the final 45 minutes.
The opening 20 minutes after the restart were a relentless barrage from the hosts, who overwhelmed Arsenal in every department and fully deserved to level the match.
Atlético Madrid went into halftime with just five attempts in total. By the 65th minute, they had racked up 17 shots and created three big chances. The penalty aside, Atléti generated an xG of 2.00 compared to Arsenal's meager 0.27 in the second half. Had it not been for the woodwork, David Raya, and Lookman's profligacy, the Gunners would have been heading home with a deficit to overturn.
It was another toothless attacking display from Arsenal beyond a handful of isolated moments, but their typically reliable defensive structure was nowhere to be seen in the second half at the Metropolitano. Arteta must identify what went wrong, because if his side endures another 20-minute spell next week resembling the start of tonight's second half, they surely won't be so fortunate to escape with just one goal conceded.
Improvement Needed or Champions League Glory Is a Pipe Dream
Atlético have demonstrated throughout the Simeone era that they are more than capable of grinding out results on the road at hostile venues in the Champions League knockout rounds. Whether it was Bayern Munich in 2016, Liverpool in 2020, or as recently as Barcelona just a month ago, Simeone's side will arrive prepared, and Arsenal will need to be significantly better if they are to reach their second-ever Champions League final.
Few clubs in Europe exploit moments of high pressure as effectively as Atlético Madrid, and Arsenal showed tonight that they can be vulnerable when Simeone's men turn up the heat.
But even if Arsenal manage to progress past Atlético Madrid in the second leg—which remains a realistic prospect—Arteta's team currently look well short of the standard set by either potential opponent in a possible final.
Both Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich displayed a level of quality in their semifinal on Tuesday that Arsenal appear unable to match at this moment. If Atlético Madrid could have comfortably scored three in the second half, how will Arsenal possibly cope against arguably the two most potent attacks in Europe?
Arteta and his squad must find a new gear in the days and weeks ahead, because based on current form, the prospect of Arsenal lifting their first-ever Champions League trophy this season looks like little more than a fantasy.