Antoine Griezmann punished Arsenal’s lax defence late on as 10-man Atletico Madrid’s rearguard action salvaged a draw from the Europa League semi-final first leg at the Emirates.
The visitors were on the back foot for almost the entire game after defender Sime Vrsaljko was dismissed for two yellow cards in the first 10 minutes.
Their defence survived unscathed to half-time with Alexandre Lacazette clipping the post with a half-volley in the hosts’ best chance.
Lacazette nodded in Jack Wilshere’s cross just after the hour to apparently edge the Gunners closer to a Europa League final send-off for outgoing manager Arsene Wenger.
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But with eight minutes remaining Griezmann latched onto a long ball forward, shrugged off Laurent Koscielny and stabbed into the net at the second attempt to swing the momentum Atletico’s way.
In contrast to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid’s defensive discipline has served them well in recent continental campaigns, grinding out victory in four of their five European semi-finals over the past nine seasons.
But the Spaniards’ usual pragmatism deserted them as they self-combusted in the opening 13 minutes.
Croatian right-back Vrsaljko was booked as he caught Jack Wilshere late in the second minute and, instead of showing the requisite caution, blundered into Lacazette with his studs up eight minutes later.
So early in the contest, Atletico may have expected referee Clement Turpin to limit punishment to a stern and final warning.
But the 35-year-old Frenchman judged the challenge rather than the occasion and showed Vrsaljko a justified second yellow.
Simeone was exasperated by that decision and incensed by Turpin opting not to book Hector Bellerin shortly after. The Argentine was dispatched to the stands after aiming a stream of invective at the official.
If any side is suited to surviving such a precarious situation though, it is Atletico.
Midfielder Thomas Partey slotted back into defence, forward Griezmann dropped deeper and their whole side set about absorbing Arsenal’s pressure and running down the clock.
The visitors rode their luck at times, with Lacazette grazing the post with an awkward half-volley, but had chances of their own in the first half with Griezmann thumping a fierce shot straight at David Ospina.
As Simeone stood impatiently in a gangway high above and his assistant German Burgos orchestrated from the sidelines, their side threatened to throttle the life out of the game.
The tightest defence in La Liga – with only 18 goals conceded in 34 games – was finally undone as Wilshere dug out a cross and Lacazette hung above Lucas Hernandez to score his 16th of the season.
With Griezmann lurking though, Atletico always retained the power to land a sucker punch.
The France international was played onside by dawdling Nacho Monreal before he hustled Koscielny into a swiped, unsuccessful clearance and applied the finish to spark delirium in the away section.
