Inter Milan overcome Arsenal 1-0 in Champions League: Key stats
Arsenal lost 1-0 to Inter Milan in a Champions League encounter at San Siro. The only goal of the match was scored by Hakan Calhanoglu via a penalty in the first half. This is Arsenal's second consecutive defeat and their first in Europe this season. The team missed key player Declan Rice due to injury, which appeared to have affected their performance heavily.
Controversial penalty decision seals Arsenal's fate
The turning point of the match was when Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino was penalized for a handball, paving the way for Calhanoglu's successful penalty kick. The call was contentious as Merino appeared helpless to avoid Mehdi Taremi's flick with his hand. Earlier in the game, Merino believed he should have been given a penalty after an interaction with Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer, but VAR didn't overturn the on-field decision.
Arsenal's offensive efforts fail to yield results
Despite launching 46 crosses, Arsenal couldn't find the back of the net for the second game in a row. William Saliba missed a promising headed chance and Kai Havertz was thwarted by Inter defender Yann Bisseck. The return of captain Martin Odegaard after a 12-game injury hiatus didn't spark a late resurgence for Arsenal. Following this defeat, Arsenal now sit at 12th position in the Champions League table after four games.
Inter Milan ascend in Champions League standings
Unlike Arsenal's fortunes, Inter Milan's win took them to the automatic qualification spots at fifth place. They have now accumulated 10 points from their opening four games, maintaining their unbeaten streak in the competition. This remarkable streak features matches against both Arsenal and Premier League champions Manchester City. The win against Arsenal cements Inter's strong start to their Champions League campaign.
Here are the match stats
Arsenal had 21 attempts with four shots being on target. Inter had one shot on target from 7 attempts. Mikel Arteta's men had 39 touches in the opposition box compared to 10 from the hosts. Arsenal also had 63% ball possession.
Unwanted records for Arsenal; Inter keep strong home form
Arsenal have lost three of their last six games in all competitions as many as their previous 32 games beforehand. Meanwhile, Arsenal have suffered successive away defeats for the first time since November 2023. Inter have kept nine clean sheets in their last 11 home matches in Champions League in addition to being unbeaten during this phase. Arsenal are winless in their last 5 away matches in the Champions League.
