Mikel Arteta expressed immense pride in his Arsenal squad after they secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid at the intimidating Metropolitano Stadium in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. The result sets up a tantalizing second leg in North London, where the Gunners will have everything to play for in front of their home fans.

The match was a tale of two penalties. Just before halftime, Viktor Gyokeres coolly slotted home from the spot after being fouled by David Hancko, sending Jan Oblak the wrong way to give Arsenal the lead. However, Atletico responded in kind when Julian Alvarez converted a penalty of his own, after Ben White was penalized for a handball. The Spanish side dominated possession and created the better chances, but Arsenal held firm.

Arteta was quick to highlight the significance of the result, noting how even the world's elite teams have crumbled under the pressure at the Metropolitano. "I'm very proud, I said that to the boys. We've handled any kind of context for nine and a half months, which is remarkable. I really value what they've done because I've seen some of the best teams in the world fall apart here," Arteta said. "We didn't get the result that we wanted. The way we planned the game, we wanted to win it, but at least it's in our hands, in front of our people, to be in that final. In a week's time, we're going to have the opportunity to do so."

The Arsenal boss also had special praise for Gyokeres, who stepped up in place of the injured Kai Havertz. The Swedish striker has faced criticism during a mixed debut campaign, but he delivered a standout performance in Madrid. "I think he had a very strong first half, especially when we were more dominant. He created the goal and the penalty, and he was ice-cool to score it in the manner that he did," Arteta noted. "The second half changed a little bit, credit to them, but there are a lot of things that we need to do much, much, much better."

With the tie finely poised, Arsenal will look to channel that resilience and pride into a dominant display at the Emirates. For fans gearing up for the decisive clash, now is the perfect time to stock up on Gunners gear and show your support as the team chases Champions League glory.