Football
Mikel Arteta reveals which Arsenal player he wanted to ‘slap’ in Real Madrid win
Mikel Arteta has joked that he wanted to “slap” Bukayo Saka after his early penalty miss against Real Madrid, but hailed the Arsenal star’s swift Bernabeu bounce back.
Leading 3-0 from the first leg after Declan Rice’s pair of sublime free-kicks at the Emirates Stadium last week, the Gunners had the chance to put their high-profile quarter-final tie against the Champions League holders firmly out of reach on Wednesday night after being awarded a 13th-minute spot-kick by French referee Francois Letexier when Mikel Merino was dragged down by Raul Asencio at a corner.
However, Saka’s miss mattered little in the end as the England winger quickly brushed off the disappointment and did end up giving Arsenal a second-half lead with a far better lofted finish that beat the onrushing Courtois after being played in by Merino.
