New Delhi: Arsenal lost their first game in the UEFA Champions League this season despite putting up a good fight against Inter Milan. Back-to-back losses across competitions and an average season in the Premier League, where they are currently placed sixth after going winless in their last three games, mean the Gunners are going through testing times.
While the defeat in San Siro does not predict how Arsenal’s season will go, it does raise questions about whether they will finish in the top eight, which would give them direct qualification for next season. With seven points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, there are also doubts about the title race in the English competition. The string of poor performances comes right after the club’s sporting director, Edu Gaspar’s sudden departure.
If this was some other team, the situation surrounding the club would be minute and fixable. However, Arsenal have been in stable and on a progress curve for the last two years. As Wednesday night was a witness, Arsenal have been unlucky this season. Their amazing second-half battle was futile, with a controversial first-half penalty that ultimately handed Arsenal a 1-0 loss.
Mikel Merino was denied a penalty earlier as he appeared to be taken out by goalkeeper Yann Sommer, but VAR may have detected a faint touch on the ball when the corner was awarded. Aside from this, the club has constantly battled injuries, which are breaking their rhythm.
🔴⚪️⚠️ Arteta: “I feel like we were very harshly done tonight… in the sense that is obvious”
“One of them, both penalties”.
“Especially if you’re going to give that one Merino handball… the other one has to be 100 percent a penalty”, told TNT Sports. pic.twitter.com/MWBhAr0GR3
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 6, 2024
How Mikel Arteta reacted to the situations around loss
Manager Mikel Arteta was clearly frustrated by the decisions and called them “harshly” judged towards Arsenal. Arteta felt Inter’s goalkeeper had punched Merino during the cross. He felt that neither penalty was judged with the same balance and that he could not accept the small margin of error.
If it were in the Premier League, the handball involving Merino wouldn’t have been awarded as the referees in the competition had stopped awarding soft penalties from this season. In this competition, though the rules state it as an unnatural position, it was still awarded as a penalty, as the proximity of the ball and its speed are rarely taken into account.
Of course, Arteta acknowledged that even their attack and defence lacked flair. However, in their clash with Inter, they were more intimidating. However, the set pieces had become their only ammunition until a late attack saw them make 46 crosses into the box, but none of the players could put the shot on target. Still, Arteta felt the team’s performance was brilliant, and the team was involved in one of the best games they had played in recent times.
What is Arsenal missing currently?
Arteta would like to believe that the team is more or less okay, and it is just that they have been luckless in their recent efforts. It is true that some of the players are still underperforming. For example, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz weren’t in their best form, while Gabriel Martinelli is much sharper than he appeared in Italy. Arsenal would now regret not building up a better attacking option during the summer transfer window.
The good news for Arsenal is Martin Odegaard’s return from an ankle injury. Odegaard might not solve every on-field problem for the club, but his creativity and imagination were something that the team was missing. While in this game he was brought in at stoppage time, where he could do little for the team, he has the power to stitch together a faltering team.
Arteta believes that the team will perform better against Chelsea when they visit Stamford Stadium next weekend. To fight out of uncertainty, a win is a must for the team against Chelsea on Sunday. With Odegaard’s return, Arteta might have been handed that certainty.
After 1-0 loss to Inter Milan, Arsenal look for inspiration to turn the season around as they struggle both on and off the field. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
