ARSENAL were beaten 1-0 by Inter Milan in the Champions League thanks to a first-half penalty.
Mikel Merino was penalised for a handball in the area and the resulting spot kick was tucked away by Hakan Calhanoglu on the stroke of half-time.
Kai Havertz came off late in the game after suffering a bloody gash to his head.
- Kick-off time: 8pm GMT
- Live stream: discovery+
- TV channel: TNT Sports 1
- Inter XI: Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bisseck; Dumfries, Frattesi, Çalhanoglu, Zielinski, Darmian; Taremi, Lautaro Martínez
- Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Partey, Havertz, Mikel Merino; Saka, Martinelli, Trossard
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Midfield looking bare in Milan
Most sides in European football would miss players such as Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.
Arsenal certainly did this evening and their cover for these players does not seem to keep them at the levels they want to be at.
It will be integral to their season that Arteta is able to wrap them in cotton wool and ensure there are no prolonged spells on sidelines for the remainder of the campaign.
Champions League still looking good
Despite tonight’s defeat, Arsenal currently sit in twelfth place in the new format league table.
Obviously every side wants to finish in the top eight, to avoid a two-legged play-off, but as it stands they are only two points away from these places.
Inter move to fifth in the table and are now three points clear of The Gunners.
Tough run ahead for Gunners
With an international break thrown in the middle of it, Arsenal have some tough fixtures coming up.
They travel to Stamford Bridge this weekend for what seems like a crucial game before the break.
Then they face high-flying Nottingham Forest, travel to Sporting Lisbon and also face Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd.
Much will rely upon Odegaard getting back to his best form as quickly as possible.
View from SunSport’s Jordan Davies in Milan
Well, what do Arsenal now? Three defeats in their last six in all competitions and no signs of that changing ahead of what is now a HUGE visit to Chelsea on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s men had nearly 50 crosses and still could not break down an Inter side who were as impressive as they were stubborn.
Arsenal have gone 408 minutes away from home in the Champions League without a goal and have not scored in their last two – here and in thew 1-0 loss at Newcastle.
They need goals. They need results. If not, the critics will come for Mikel Arteta and he will have no hiding place.
Boss not happy with manner of defeat
The Gunners boss spoke with BT Sport after the game in the San Siro:
I’m very proud of my players and the game we played. I feel that we were harshly done tonight. If you give that penalty agaiinst us, you have to give the one where our player was punched in the head. The team plays like we did here tonight, we can go to Chelsea and win.
Mikel Arteta
Gunners firing blanks once again
While many pundits will defend the transfer activity of their former employers, no one can deny there is something lacking.
They do not have an out and out number nine and often there iis no presence in the penalty area to cause problems for the opposition.
The owners have invested heavily in transfers but Arteta has opted not to strengthen in the striking department.
Add to that, they sold Folarin Balogun to Monaco in the summer after he scored 21 goals in 37 games on loan to Reims last season.
Denzel dominates as the Inside Man
Inter’s Denzel Dumfries starred for the Italians this evening.
As ever, he was up and down the touchline throughout the game.
He was a threat going forward but also contributed in a defensive sense to keep The Gunners out.
Disappointing night in Milan
Mikel Arteta’s side are going through a mini-wobble currently.
They have lost three of their last six games and their only two wins have come against Preston and Shakhtar Donetsk.
With a big game coming up against rivals Chelsea on the weekend, The Gunners need to rediscover their form sooner rather than later.
Credit: Reuters FT: Inter 1-0 Arsenal
The Gunners suffer their first defeat in this season’s Champions League competition.
Despite all their possession they did not create enough problems for Inter in the San Siro this evening.
While the stats look good, they can be somewhat misleading, Sommer only had one real save to make in that second-half.
FT: Inter 1-0 Arsenal
The referee brings the game to a close.
Inter have inflicted defeat on Arsenal at the San Siro.
They just could not breakdown this Italian defence.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
90+4. Arteta will be hoping Havertz is able to play Sunday against Chelsea after that gash to his head.
The travelling fans are pleased to see their Norwegian playmaker back on the pitch again.
No pressure, you have three minutes to change the game.
Credit: AFP Inter 1-0 Arsenal
90+2. We have a break in play after a collision of heads.
Bisseck and Havertz are both receiving treatment.
The German has been forced off with a nasty cut and is being replaced by Odegaard.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
90. Another ball comes into the box.
This time Havertz wins the header and knocks it down.
Inter are alert to the danger and hack the ball clear.
We are going to have five added minutes.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
88. Inter have not offered a lot in an attacking sense in this half.
Not that they will be worried about that if they win this game.
The ball is very much in Arsenal’s court to try and break them down now in what remains of this game.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
86. Martinelli swings another cross into the box.
Arsenal have plenty of numbers in the box but once again the defender is fiirst to it as they head clear.
The home fans are making some noise in the San Siro, trying to see their team through to the final whistle.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
84. Inter are dealing with the aerial threat with ease.
Apart from when Saliba or Gabriel can come forward, mainly set-pieces, there is no one who can make a nuisance of themselves in the box.
Saliba is penalised for a foul on Thuram.
Credit: AFP Inter 1-0 Arsenal
82. It must be a concern for Arteta how his team do not look like scoring in open play whatsoever.
Zinchenko and Nwaneri replace Timber and Trossard.
Final roll of the dice from The Gunners.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
80. Inter bring on Dimarco for Taremi.
As we head into the final ten minutes of the game, the hosts will be thinking of holding on to what they have now.
Timber sends a cross into the box but it is headed clear once again.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
78. Time is starting to run out for The Gunners now.
Arteta may be tempted to bring on Odegaard for the remainder of this game.
Despite having all the possession in the final third, they have no one capable of providing that killer pass to create a goal.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
76. What a huge chance for Arsenal.
Inter fail to deal with the cross and it drops to Havertz in the middle of the six yard box.
He gets a shot away but Bisseck makes a sublime block to send it behind for a corner.
Brilliant defending.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
74. Martinelli wins a free kick as he is bundled over by Dumfries.
Arsenal manage to force another corner.
Chance for the visitors to put Sommer under some more pressure.
It is a poor cross from Martinelli and Havertz knocks it straight out of play for a goal kick.
Credit: AFP
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
72. Calhanoglu comes off for Asllani.
Unless something changes in this game, he is easily the man of the match in this game.
Dumfries receives the ball from Barella but does not catch it well and it goes wide of the target.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
70. Having just been booked, Jesus needs to be careful now.
He goes flying into another challenge immediately after but luckily the referee lets it go.
The last thing Arsenal need now is to go down to ten men.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
68. Havertz goes down under the pressure from Barella.
He is looking for a free-kick but the referee is not interested.
The German needs to be stronger in those situations.
Inter 1-0 Arsenal
66. Saka mannages to create some space but Inter get numbers back quickly.
The best he can do is to win another corner for his team.
This time his delivery cannot beat the man at the near post.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
