San Siro, Milan – Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League hopes took a hit on Wednesday night as they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Inter Milan at the San Siro, marking their second consecutive loss after a recent setback at Newcastle.
The Gunners, who arrived in Italy without midfield anchor Declan Rice due to injury, struggled to find the cutting edge against a well-organised Inter side. Hakan Calhanoglu’s first-half penalty proved decisive, delivering Inter three crucial points and leaving Arsenal searching for answers.
The game’s lone goal came after Arsenal’s Mikel Merino was penalised for a handball in the 36th minute. Mehdi Taremi’s close-range flick struck Merino’s hand in the box, leading the referee to point to the spot.
Calhanoglu calmly converted, giving Inter a lead they would hold onto for the remainder of the match. Arsenal’s frustration was compounded by the circumstances of the penalty, with Merino unable to move his arm away in time—a decision that would likely have been judged differently in the Premier League.
Despite Arsenal’s appeals for a penalty of their own earlier in the game, VAR found no grounds to overturn the on-field decision when Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer collided with Merino as he punched clear a Gabriel Martinelli cross. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, visibly frustrated, told TNT Sport that his team had been “harshly done by” over the two penalty incidents.
“There’s no danger in the box, there’s nothing [Merino] can do,” Arteta argued. “If you’re giving that one, then the other one, 100 per cent, has to be a penalty.”
Pundit Paul Merson echoed Arteta’s sentiments, emphasising the impact of Sommer’s punch on Merino. “He has literally punched his head off. It’s a double punch. It should be a penalty,” Merson commented on Sky Sports.
Despite dominating possession and firing in 46 crosses, Arsenal struggled to break down Inter’s defence. William Saliba missed a promising header, while Kai Havertz saw a goal-bound effort expertly blocked by Inter’s Yann Bisseck, who was preferred over the established Alessandro Bastoni.
In a last-minute bid to salvage a result, Arteta introduced captain Martin Odegaard, marking his first appearance after missing 12 games through injury. However, Odegaard’s return could not inspire a comeback as Inter’s defence held firm, sealing Arsenal’s first European loss of the season.
The defeat drops Arsenal to 12th place in the Champions League standings after four games, leaving their qualification hopes hanging in the balance. In contrast, Inter’s unbeaten start continues, with the win moving them up to fifth place in the table, securing an automatic qualification spot with 10 points.
Arsenal will now turn their attention to their weekend Premier League clash against Chelsea, hoping to bounce back from their European disappointment and address their recent scoring woes.