When facing Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, the last thing you want to do is provoke them. Yet, ahead of their Champions League clash on Tuesday night at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal managed to do just that, prompting the visiting team to lodge an official complaint with UEFA.

During their training session at the Emirates on Monday afternoon, Atletico Madrid players were left without hot water for showers in the dressing room. After an intense workout, the lack of hot water was a significant inconvenience for the team.

Shortly after arriving, around 5:30 p.m., Atletico alerted Arsenal about the issue. However, the Gunners were unable to resolve the problem before Simeone and his players departed the stadium.

Though Arsenal eventually restored the hot water supply by the time Atletico’s training was supposed to conclude, the Argentine manager opted to cut the session short, leaving the issue unresolved.

The Gunners managed to have the hot water working again by the time Atletico were scheduled to finish training but the Argentine boss called time on it early. 

Atletico Madrid trained at the Emirates on Monday evening but were unable to use hot showers

Diego Simeone’s side reported Arsenal to UEFA and the Premier League team apologised

Given the outstanding facilities at the Emirates, Atletico were furious at the situation and even went as far as filing an official complaint to UEFA. 

The hot water was not working for either dressing room, though clearly it was not an issue for the home side with Atletico the only team at the ground. 

Arsenal have apologised to Tuesday night’s opponents for the inconvenience. 

Under the official rules set out by UEFA, teams must provide hot showers but that is limited to matchdays and the infrastructure regulations do not extend to training sessions so it seems unlikely that the north London club will be punished. 

Arteta’s men will be wary of any added motivation given to the visitors, who often use Simeone’s siege mentality as fuel.

But the Gunners have won both of their games in the Champions League league stage so far and sit comfortably joint-top, fifth on goal difference. 

Atletico, meanwhile, are 10th having beaten Eintracht Frankfurt and lost a thriller against Liverpool at Anfield.   

Despite the anger from Atletico at Arsenal on Monday, Arteta had earlier spoken in glowing terms of his opposite number. 

Conor Gallagher (centre) and Antoine Griezmann (left) went back to the hotel for showers

‘Well, obviously there is someone that I look up to and learn from him in many situations and what is for me outstanding is his passion,’ he said.  

‘I think for how long he’s been in the game and in the same club with the same players, how you still have that hand and that capacity to transmit such an energy and willingness to win.

‘It’s a very tough environment that we live in and to keep convincing players you have to be extraordinary as well.

‘I don’t know [him] personally but everything I heard about him is that he’s so good at doing that. That’s one of the reasons why you are able to sustain at that level.’

‘If he works in the Champions League, which is the highest competition in Europe, he can do it anywhere,’ the Arsenal boss said.

Simeone called time on the session before Arsenal had managed to fix the hot water issue

‘You have to come here and try it and feel it, but I’m very sure that his know-how is unbelievable, and his character and willingness will take him anywhere.’

And it is the defensive side of Atletico’s play that impresses Arteta most, with the 43-year-old adding: ‘First of all the willingness to win, you can sense that in every single ball, in every single yard, the way they play,” Arteta said.

‘So it’s about how they compete and then after how they play.

‘The level of organisation is really high, the level of discipline is really high, and then they have acquired a lot of talent throughout the years that are very specific for the needs and the way they want to play, and they are very good at exploiting those opportunities.’