Three things we learned from Arsenal draw as Gunners hard done by double penalty farce

This was a good result for Arsenal and yet it could have been so much better.

Arsenal controlled a match better than they have done in weeks.

Atletico Madrid were second-best apart from a 20-minute sparked by the first of two controversial penalty decisions .

Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez both emphatically converted spot-kicks and it leaves the tie perfectly poised before battle is resumed in north London.

Arsenal hard done by with double penalty farce
As was the case in the other semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, UEFA's officiating when it comes to penalty proved to be farcical.

With Arsenal in control after Gyokeres' first-half penalty, Atletico were gifted the chance to equalise after the break from the spot.

It was deemed, after a VAR review, that Ben White had handled the ball.

That was always going to be given considering what happened in Paris 24 hours earlier, but that did not make the decision any less ridiculous.

The shot hit White's shin and then bounced up onto his arm.

Alvarez converted the penalty and from there the game turned, Arsenal suddenly panicked in the face of Atletico pressure having previously been troubled.

The Gunners appeared to have the chance to restore their lead, when David Hancko brought down Eberechi Eze and the referee pointed to the spot.

There was contact, Hancko catching Eze after the ball had been poked away, but referee Danny Makkelie overturned that decision after another VAR review.

Particularly considering the penalty that was given at the other end, that was absurd.

Makkelie had Diego Simeone and the Atletico bench in his ear as he looked at the monitor and a raucous stadium piling on the pressure.

There was a strong sense that he gave into that.

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Against Newcastle on Saturday, Arsenal once again looked exhausted, physically and emotionally .

A two-legged showdown with a Simeone side looked like the last thing they were ready for.

Instead, the Gunners rose to the occasion.

They are now just six matches away from making it the greatest season in the club's history.

Arsenal should back themselves to beat this Atletico side at the Emirates Stadium.

Antoine Griezmann came alive in spells in the second-half, and Julian Alvarez had his moment, but Gabriel, William Saliba and Declan Rice dominated them physically on the whole.

There was a nous to the Arsenal performance, keeping the ball confidently and not letting this become the kind of end-to-end encounter than the neutrals enjoyed on Tuesday night.

Arsenal do not need to be entertainers.

This was a good European display and once that should have them believing they can reach the final.

Arteta's side are unbeaten in all 13 matches they have played in the competition this season.

It is not the same way that PSG and Bayern play, but it continues to prove effective.

There was a tweak to the midfield from Arteta, even if it was his preferred trio once again starting.

Rice was far more of a No6 than he has been for much of the season, dropping in between the centre-backs in possession.

In the first-half, Rice had 57 touches of the ball, by far the most on the pitch.

He ran the show, completing 53 of 55 passes, but also had some of his trademark moments off the ball.

As the ball dropped to Julian Alvarez in the Arsenal box, Rice got back having tracked his run and cleared the danger.

Martin Zubimendi was pushed further up the pitch with less responsibility to influence Arsenal's build-up.

He had only 28 touches in the opening 45 minutes.

He did, though, have an impact in the final third.

Zubimendi played a nice one-two with Martin Odegaard and then found Gyokeres, who was bundled over for the penalty.

Arsenal did not quite have the same level of control after the break, but Rice was still the composed head.

He was by far the best player on the pitch.