Arsenal v Atletico Madrid LIVE: Champions League result and reaction from crunch semi-final second leg – UK Times

Marc Guehi looked glum as he headed for the Manchester City bus outside Hill Dickinson Stadium. Understandably, too. His ability to pick the right pass had helped him settle smoothly into the City defence. Until he picked the wrong pass, supplied Thierno Barry with a goal and a 3-3 draw altered the title race.

This had seemed a sequel to 2014 and 2023, a night when City chalked up crucial wins at Everton in the run-in. Instead, there were flashbacks to a couple of other games which, indirectly, led to City becoming champions. City conceded three times in 12 minutes on Monday; in 2014, in “Crystanbul”, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool let in three in the last 11 minutes away at Crystal Palace. That also finished 3-3. Go back to 2012, and City’s first league title since 1968 was aided by David Moyes’ Everton, mounting an extraordinary comeback to draw 4-4 with Manchester United. In each case, two points were dropped in dramatic fashion.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone said: “No one expected that we would be here. We competed with a team that had so much strength and power. We gave it our all and now we have to accept the place that we’re in. I’m grateful to our supporters and our players. I feel proud to be where I am right now.

“If we got knocked out, it’s because our opponents deserved to get through. If you ask me how I feel, I feel calm and peaceful. The team gave absolutely everything.”

Club captain Koke said: “There were high hopes for us in the Copa and in the Champions League. We were not consistent in the league, we were not at the level we should have been. But we lost the Copa in a penalty shootout and in the Champions League we were this close to advancing.

“This group has been improving a lot and we have very young players who certainly will help this team fight for many great things in the near future.”

Bukayo Saka’s goal at the Emirates Stadium sparked wild celebrations and fans flooded the pitch at full-time to celebrate with the players, leading to criticism from Rooney.

He said on Amazon Prime: “They deserve to be in this position but they haven’t won it yet. I think the celebrations are a little bit too much. Celebrate when you win.”

Arsenal were roared on by a home support in excellent voice from long before kick off, with Arteta and his squad given a rousing reception on arrival for the second leg.

“It had to be someone very special and certainly he is very special with me and the boys and everyone attached with this club,” Mikel Arteta said of Bukayo Saka’s matchwinning goal against Atletico Madrid.

“If it had to be someone scoring that goal, it probably had to be him.”

After admirably digging in, Arsenal now rise to the greatest stage. A season that has been characterised by such angst and toil may yet finish with jubilation and ascension – twice over.

You could see from the final whistle this meant everything, as players punched the air in joy, and they might yet win everything that matters. The Premier League trophy and European Cup are both now within touching distance.

The Gunners manager explained: “The togetherness. It was very difficult to make certain decisions and I feel a lot for the boys.

“I know generally how good people they are and some of them, I talked to them this afternoon and apologised and said ‘I’m going to play the same team’ and the reaction immediately was ‘boss, I’m here when you need me’ and they gave me a hug.”

Mikel Arteta’s side are five points clear of City, who have a game in hand, and it means the Gunners will lift the Premier League if they win their final three games against West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace.

The Atletico Madrid manager said: “Well if we got knocked out it’s because our opponents deserved to get through, they took their big chance in the first-half and they deserved to get through. I feel calm, I feel peaceful.

“We weren’t clinical enough with the situations we were in. We improved in the second-half. There were things that could’ve gone our way but they didn’t.

“We gave it our all and now we have to accept the place that we are in. Thanks to our supporters and players I feel proud to be where we are right now.

“I said we wanted to compete and we have done that. Unfortunately we haven’t won anything but we have got to places that are hard to get to.”