๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ข-๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐, ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐-๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ง๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ.
Arsenal where handed a great advantage inside the opening 10 minutes of the match, when Atletico were reduced to 10 men, after Croatian right-back Sime Vrsaljko was sent off after recieving a second yellow card.
The Gunners looked to capitalise on their one man advantage, and they where dominating possession and creating the best chances, but Atletico's star goalkeeper Jan Oblak was alert and denied Alexandre Lacazette and Danny Welbeck with two great saves in the 1st half.
The 2nd half started the same as the 1st, with Arsenal dominating possession and creating the best goal scoring opportunites. They where finally rewarded in the 61st minute, when Alexandre Lacazette headed home a delightful cross from Jack Wilshere.
The Gunners kept on attempting to kill the game, but they where unable to turn their superiority into goals and in the 82nd minute they where punished, after Antonie Griezmann capitalised on an error by fellow Frenchman Laurent Koscielny, to make the final scoreline 1-1.
This was Arsene Wenger's last home European game in charge of The Gunners, and he will no doubt be disappointed that they won't be going into next week's 2nd leg at the Wanda Metropolitano with an advantage.
''I feel we produced the performance we wanted to produce but the result is not in line with the performance. Once we were 1-0 up, the task was clear to us not be caught on the long ball. The only chance they could have was the long ball. We were a bit unlucky with the goal because it was a foul on Welbeck, but we can only look at ourselves tonight, said the veteran gaffer.
''Itโs not about blaming individuals. The whole team is disappointed and down. We need to build the desire and confidence to go there qualify.
''Our fans were fantastic, thatโs what you want. We created the anti-climax by giving the goal away''