Dj Vnyash
Mikel Arteta surveyed Arsenal’s controversial 1-0 Champions League defeat to Inter Milan and expressed confidence that his struggling team would recover from this setback to salvage their season. The loss added to the sense of crisis surrounding a squad once expected to challenge for both domestic and European titles.
Despite dominating large portions of the match, Arsenal was undone by a contentious penalty in first-half stoppage time, with Mikel Merino penalized for handball. Hakan Calhanoglu converted the penalty, and despite their efforts, Arsenal failed to equalize, suffering a second consecutive 1-0 defeat after a similar loss to Newcastle in the Premier League.
The Gunners have only won two of their last six matches across all competitions, with those victories coming against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League and second-tier Preston in the League Cup. Arsenal now sits in fifth place in the Premier League, trailing leaders Liverpool by seven points, ahead of a crucial London derby against Chelsea.
Arsenal’s struggles have been compounded by the absence of captain Martin Ødegaard, who made a late substitute appearance against Inter after an injury layoff. Ødegaard’s creativity and pressing have been sorely missed, while injuries to Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber, alongside multiple red cards for key players like Declan Rice, William Saliba, and Leandro Trossard, have further hindered Arteta’s plans.
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In addition to these on-field challenges, Arteta has faced the unexpected departure of his trusted sporting director Edu, who resigned this week after agreeing to a similar role at Nottingham Forest. Edu, who helped transform Arsenal’s squad since 2019, was a close collaborator with Arteta, and his exit marks another blow for the team.
Arteta defended his players, arguing that refereeing decisions, not their performance, were to blame for the loss to Inter. “It’s extremely frustrating because there were two decisions against us,” he said. “If their penalty is valid, then we should have one when Mikel Merino was punched in the head.”
Despite the setback, Arteta remained optimistic, praising his team’s attitude and performance. “If we play the way we played tonight, we have a big chance to win at Chelsea,” he said. “I’m proud of them, although we are disappointed with the result.”
However, with Arsenal’s title challenge faltering, concerns are growing that their hopes of dethroning Manchester City may end in disappointment.
