Controversial penalty incidents cannot hide true nature of Arsenal’s latest defeat

Inter Milan 1-0 Arsenal: The Gunners lost their first match in the Champions League this season - but can take positives away from the San Siro

Arsenal suffered their first defeat in the Champions League this season (AFP)

Arsenal have traded St James’ Park for San Siro but the scoreline has stayed the same. In a few days they have lost to Newcastle and Internazionale. They have lost Edu, too, and if the corridors of power are emptier, the numbers of reverses are growing.

And yet, while they repeated their result at Newcastle on Saturday, it was a defeat with a difference. Meek on Tyneside, Arsenal rediscovered their resolve. After their worst performance of the season came one of the better ones.

“The worst thing of the night is the result,” said Mikel Arteta. “The performance, attitude, the dominance against one of the best teams in Europe… of all the games we played away in Europe in the last few years, this is the best.” There are no prizes for winning the shot on target and corner counts, but Arsenal chalked up resounding triumphs, of 5-1 and 13-0. “We should have scored a couple, at least,” Arteta added. But goals are elusive now, genuine creativity too. Arsene Wenger coined the phrase “sterile domination”. Arteta’s Arsenal had the perspiration, but not the inspiration.

And Internazionale delivered the goal. Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty formed part of a trilogy of misfortune for Mikel Merino; denied a spot kick at one, blameless as he conceded one at the other, removed at half-time, feeling the worse for being whacked, it was not one Spaniard’s day. Nor another’s; Arteta has his own issues with referee Istvan Kovacs, getting first a yellow card and then a final warning for his appraisal of the Hungarian’s efforts. “A private, interesting conversation,” seethed the manager.

Hakan Calhanoglu converted the decisive penalty for Inter (Reuters)

As intriguing, perhaps, was Arteta’s message to his own team. There are times when he can appear too cautious. Not away to the 2023 Champions League finalists and 2024 Scudetto winners, however. When Merino departed at half-time, Arteta was short of midfielders – Martin Odegaard returned to the bench after 12 games out, but only made an injury-time cameo, while his reappearance was offset by the loss of Declan Rice – so he took the handbrake off, brought on Gabriel Jesus, moved Kai Havertz a little deeper and played, in effect, a front five. If Thomas Partey looked lonely at times as 4-3-3 could become 4-1-5, Arsenal penned Inter in. The Serie A champions, to use the verb beloved of many an Italian manager, had to suffer. They did, with Yann Bisseck and Denzel Dumfries outstanding, and their determination and concentration underlining why only they and Atalanta have a clean sweep of clean sheets in the Champions League this season.

Arsenal’s full-blooded efforts suggested they passed a test of character and yet came in vain. Dumfries cleared Mehdi Taremi’s header off the line, sparing the striker an own goal. Havertz had a curler clawed away by Sommer and a shot deflected wide by Bisseck. Arsenal camped themselves in Inter’s half.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard made his return with a late cameo (AFP)

It may have altered the mood, if not the result. In the context of the group, Arsenal may not need the equaliser they sought here. In the context of their week, however, they required a response.

They got one, even after the initial omens were worrying. They began with the sound descending from San Siro’s steepling stands, the early energy coming from Simone Inzaghi’s side on the pitch. Dumfries rattled the underside of the bar after 100 seconds, Calhanoglu shot narrowly wide after 150. Welcome to Milan.

And yet Arsenal’s wingers, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, made their initial incursions as they grew into the game. Inter had made far more passes, but Arsenal first drew level and then moved past their hosts, ending with a 60 per cent share of possession. Which, again, does not alter the standings.

Bukayo Saka’s influence was limited by a strong Inter defence (AFP)

The temptation for Arsenal would be to view it as a game of two decisions. First Merino unceremoniously clattered by Yann Sommer as he headed Martinelli’s enticing cross just wide. “The one on Mikel Merino where he punches [him] in the head has to be 1000 per cent a penalty,” said Arteta. Then Teremi volleyed the ball onto Merino’s hand, the Spaniard too close to react. This time a spot kick was added – “I don’t understand it,” Arteta added – and Calhanoglu stroked the ball past David Raya.

And if Inter spent much of the remainder of the match on the back foot, the result offered a vindication. They have faced last season’s top two from the Premier League already, drawn away at the champions Manchester City and beaten Arsenal at home. Each, notably, has been with what could seem a weakened team.

Kai Havertz took a knock to the head but seems to be okay after being subbed off the pitch (Reuters)

If the new Champions League format was supposed to stop managers confident of qualification fielding weakened teams, six changes suggesting Sunday’s table-topping clash with Napoli assumed more importance for Inzaghi. Yet Inzaghi can excel at perming from his squad; his decisions were justified again. “We beat a top-class side,” he said and now the Champions League table, showing Inter in fifth, looks healthy for them.

For Arsenal, a first defeat in the competition this year comes among different sorts of losses. Some two decades ago, Edu was a scorer in the Invincibles’ seminal 5-1 win over Inter at San Siro. Once again, Arsenal conceded one; this time, they did not get the five. But if they could not take a point back from Italy, at least they could return with an illustration of their doggedness.