Contesting a second successive UCL semi-final for the first time in their history, Arsenal knew a rock-solid start was needed in the Spanish capital, where Atletico were unbeaten in their previous six UCL knockout games against English sides (W3, D3).
Roared on by the vociferous home support, Diego Simeone’s men created the first meaningful chance of the match, as David Raya reacted smartly to parry a curled effort from Julian Alvarez around the post.
The Gunners responded well to that scare, though, with captain Martin Odegaard seeing a dangerous strike blocked by Johnny Cardoso, before the lively Noni Madueke fired wide from 25 yards.
Having emerged victorious from five of their preceding six UCL trips this campaign (D1), Arsenal continued to stamp their authority on proceedings as the first half progressed, and Mikel Arteta’s men were rewarded shortly before the break when David Hancko clumsily bundled into the back of Viktor Gyokeres in the box.
The Swede dusted himself off and assumed the responsibility from the spot, powering a confident penalty through the grasp of Jan Oblak to score his 19th goal of the season, giving the Gunners a valuable advantage at half-time.
Determined to find an immediate response, Atletico came flying out of the blocks at the start of the second period, with Alvarez flashing a free-kick into the side-netting and Ademola Lookman seeing a close-range shot repelled by Raya.
The hosts’ pressure showed no signs of relenting, and they were soon awarded a penalty of their own when Ben White was penalised for handball in the box.
Alvarez stepped up to the spot for the Rojiblancos, and the talismanic Argentine swept a clinical penalty beyond a stationary Raya to restore parity.
Armed with the momentum heading into the final half-hour, Atletico went agonisingly close to taking the lead in the 63rd minute, as Antoine Griezmann’s clipped effort bounced off the bar.
The hosts remained the more threatening of the two sides in the final third, but profligate finishing from Lookman and a smart stop from Raya kept Arsenal on level terms.
Those misses looked to have proved costly when the visitors were awarded their second penalty of the evening after Hancko was adjudged to have tripped substitute Eberechi Eze, but the decision was eventually overturned following a lengthy VAR review.
Despite that reprieve, the hosts struggled to rediscover their attacking spark in the closing stages, as Arsenal held firm to extend their unbeaten run in the tournament and take a positive scoreline to North London next week.
As for Atletico, they’ll travel to the Emirates with plenty of confidence despite failing to win, having progressed from six of their last seven semi-final appearances across all UEFA competitions.
Flashscore Man of the Match: David Raya (Arsenal)