Arsenal’s European journey took another hit as they suffered a 1-0 loss to Inter Milan at the San Siro, marking their second consecutive defeat in all competitions.
Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu sealed the win with a first-half penalty, putting the Gunners on shaky ground in their Champions League group.
The North London side entered the match without Declan Rice, sidelined due to an injury—a significant absence as they prepared for a tough week ahead, with a trip to Chelsea in the Premier League following a bruising loss at Newcastle.
Rice’s absence left a visible gap in Arsenal’s midfield, contributing to their first Champions League defeat this season.
A crucial moment came just before halftime when Arsenal’s Mikel Merino was penalized for a handball inside the box after Inter forward Mehdi Taremi’s flick hit his arm.
Despite the incident appearing unavoidable, Merino was substituted at halftime, the penalty decision standing firm.
The incident was controversial, with many suggesting it wouldn’t have been called in the Premier League.
Earlier in the game, Merino believed he was fouled by Inter’s goalkeeper Yann Sommer. In an attempt to punch away a cross from Gabriel Martinelli, Sommer made contact with Merino’s head, sparking calls for a penalty.
However, VAR deemed the contact insufficient to overturn the original decision, leaving Arsenal frustrated.
Determined to fight back, Arsenal pressed hard for an equalizer but couldn’t find the net for the second consecutive game.
Defender William Saliba wasted a promising header, while Kai Havertz saw his close-range effort impressively blocked by Inter’s Yann Bisseck, who started ahead of Alessandro Bastoni in Inter’s defense.
Mikel Arteta brought on captain Martin Odegaard, returning after a lengthy 12-game injury absence, in hopes of sparking a comeback.
However, Odegaard’s presence wasn’t enough, and Arsenal dropped to 12th place in the Champions League standings after gameweek four.
Inter, on the other hand, extended their unbeaten start to the competition, moving up to fifth place and securing an automatic qualification spot with 10 points from four games.
Their strong performances against both Arsenal and English champions Manchester City have bolstered their hopes in this year’s European campaign.
