Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta joked that he wanted to slap Bukayo Saka after a poor penalty was saved in the first half of last night’s victory at Real Madrid.
Arteta could then afford to joke about it when the gunners kept winning the game, and Saka scored in the second half before a late winner from Gabriel Martinelli.
It was going to be a great night in Arsenal history.
Arsenal is currently competing in the Champions League semi-finals, with only three in history, with Paris Saint-Germain next rising for the Giants in North London.
Saka may have ruined his penalty, but England International performed brilliantly on both feet, and Arteta’s comments were certainly just a joke.
Bukayosaka’s penalty miss Mikel Arteta
“I wanted to slap him, but the player had to make a decision and he was bold enough to do it,” Arteta said after the match as BBC Sports quoted.
“It could have been an emotional turning point in the game, as it gave them a lot of conviction. But the way he handled the situation and how he played afterwards was incredible.”
Saka is usually pretty reliable from the penalty spot, but he certainly did it badly wrong as Thibaut Courtois had little trouble saving Panenka of his attempts.
This didn’t cost their team as Arsenal fans have seen Madrid return from a massive deficit before, especially in the Champions League.
The Spanish giants often found something that overwhelmed their opponents in this competition, but in reality they didn’t bother Arsenal in either game.
Arteta has done a great job on this Arsenal side and they will feel they will be on their way and will be able to win this trophy for the first time in their history.