Arsenal: Mikel Arteta disagrees with Martin Keown over Diego Simeone after Atletico draw | OneFootball

Former Gunners man, along with Steven Gerrard and Steve McManaman, were appalled by what they saw

Mikel Arteta has defended Diego Simeone from criticism after Arsenal and Atletico Madrid played out a controversial draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.

The tie is finely poised at 1-1 after each team scored from the penalty spot - Viktor Gyokeres in the first half, Julian Alvarez after the break - but the game ended in controversy after a second Gunners spot-kick was overturned by VAR.

The UEFA match blog explained: "Decision overturned: no penalty. Penalty cancelled - no foul. Atleti player, No17 (Hancko), did not commit a foul on the opponent."

Players and coaching staff from both teams were seen standing behind Makkelie as he reviewed the footage, which consisted of 13 replays, with Simeone in particularly close proximity.

Diego Simeone was seen remonstrating during VAR review

London Standard

Simeone was seen remonstrating and waving his arms around behind the referee as the footage was reviewed, making clear that he believed the penalty should be overturned. Simeone then walked away before Makkelie turned back to the pitch to rule out the spot-kick, to the dismay of Declan Rice and Gabriel nearby.

Former Arsenal player Martin Keown believes Simeone's actions during the VAR review, and throughout the game, influenced the referee's decisions.

He said on TNT Sports: “Simeone though his actions at the sidelines, the drama he creates and the scenes around it, the referee in the end I felt buckled under the pressure, went to the screen and didn't stick with his decision.

"I don't think he should have even been made to go to the screen."

He added: “The way Simeone was running around, you’ve got to keep your decorum after a game like that, something was very wrong there tonight.”

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard pushed back, pointing out that "Arteta does that as well in the Premier League,” to which Keown acknowledged: "Yeah but not with the same sort of success. This guy is the master.”

Gerrard accepted that Simeone’s antics “played a big part”, adding: “From a coaching point of view, his behaviour there, he was in the referees eyesight coming over."

Simeone though his actions at the sidelines ... the referee in the end I felt buckled under the pressure

Martin Keown

TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher agreed, suggesting Simeone was trying to influence the decision and deserved to be booked for his antics.

"I just wish we could have got a wider shot of Simeone's antics while he was looking at the screen," he said. "He was literally five yards behind the screen, bellowing at the ref, waving at the ref. If there was ever a time to get a yellow card for trying to influence a referee it was then."

Steve McManaman agreed with his pundit colleagues, adding: "I have to echo Martin, I thought the behaviour of Diego Simeone and his assistants when the referee was trying to come over to look at the monitor was atrocious.

"The constant haranguing of the fourth official, once he gives it and it's contact it's not a clear and obvious error. You shouldn't go back and ref it again but I thought he had an awful game."

He added: "And I guarantee if that was in the opposite box, Simone would be going apoplectic on the sidelines and his behaviour honestly is awful, absolutely awful."

But Arteta refused to join in the chorus of Simeone critique, insisting his counterpart's behaviour was "normal", and would not have come as a surprise to the referee and his team of match officials.

The Arsenal manager told reporters: "That has nothing to do with that.

"I’m sure they are very well aware of what the reaction is going to be. It’s normal, that reaction, we need to apply the rules."