Mikel Arteta didn’t hold back his emotions after Bukayo Saka’s cheeky penalty miss against Real Madrid — joking he felt like slapping the young star before watching him bounce back heroically.
In a high-stakes Champions League quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabeu, Arsenal already had a 3–0 cushion from the first leg. The Gunners looked set to kill off the tie early when they were awarded a penalty in the 13th minute. But Saka’s attempt to chip Thibaut Courtois with a Panenka fell flat — the keeper easily caught it.
“I didn’t want to die, but maybe I wanted to slap him,” Arteta laughed during his post-match interview. “He was brave, made a bold choice, and missed. I was more concerned about the emotional effect it might have on him.”
But the 22-year-old showed nerves of steel and bounced back quickly. Just minutes later, Saka broke the deadlock with a classy lofted finish after being teed up by Mikel Merino.
Real Madrid responded almost immediately, as Vinicius Jr capitalized on a rare William Saliba mistake to equalize. However, Arsenal weren’t done. Deep into stoppage time, Gabriel Martinelli latched onto another Merino assist to seal a dramatic 2-1 win — and Arsenal’s first Champions League semi-final appearance since 2009.
Arteta beamed with pride over his squad’s composure, especially Saka’s. “The personality he showed — especially playing for the first time at this stadium, at his age — was just incredible.”
