Declan Rice has launched a fierce defence of Arsenal’s penalty claims after a stormy 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, insisting his side were denied a “clear” spot-kick and accusing the referee of being swayed by the home crowd.

The controversy erupted late in the game when Eberechi Eze tumbled under pressure inside the Atlético box. Dutch referee Danny Makkelie initially pointed to the spot, only to reverse his decision after a lengthy VAR review that saw him watch the incident repeatedly on the pitchside monitor, surrounded by deafening whistles from more than 70,000 home supporters.

Mikel Arteta raged at full-time, and Rice echoed his manager’s fury, arguing that the atmosphere inside the stadium played a decisive role in the U-turn.

“It’s a clear penalty. I don’t know how that’s not been given,” Rice said. “I think the fans provoked the decision and changed the ref’s mind. UEFA is totally different to the Premier League. In both boxes, you have to be so careful because they give absolutely everything.”

The incident capped a night of frustration for Arsenal, who had already seen two VAR calls go against them. Ben White was penalised for handball when he blocked a Marcos Llorente volley, allowing Julián Álvarez to equalise from the spot after Viktor Gyökeres had earlier put the visitors ahead with a penalty of his own.

Rice felt White’s punishment was harsh and highlighted the contrast with domestic officiating. “At first glance I thought if that’s in the Premier League it doesn’t get given because it’s so low to the ground. The ball’s not going on target,” he said. “In the Champions League, referees are really quick to make decisions and blow their whistle. I feel like they penalise you more in European competitions. But it doesn’t matter. We move on to next week and we want to beat them.”

Despite the sense of injustice, Arsenal emerged with a valuable away draw and extended their unbeaten run in the Champions League to 13 matches, equalling a club record. Bukayo Saka, introduced from the bench as he continues his recovery from an Achilles problem, urged supporters to turn the Emirates Stadium into a cauldron for the return leg.

“We have mixed feelings because we would have liked to have come away with a win,” Saka said. “But we will take the draw, it’s halftime, and we’re full of confidence going back to the Emirates. I’m sure it’s going to be above and beyond what we saw tonight with the atmosphere, and that will definitely give us a boost.”