Arsenal put up a valiant fight in Milan on Wednesday but ultimately it was another disappointing result in what is proving a tough spell for the Gunners.
Three games without a win in the Premier League has seen their title challenge falter as they now sit seven points behind leaders Liverpool.
And now, their strong form in Europe has also taken a hit as they suffered their first loss in this season’s Champions League to Inter at the San Siro.
They will understandably feel aggreived they came away with nothing to show for a battling second-half display, with a controversial penalty on the stroke of half-time proving decisive.
Arsenal’s Mikel Merino was punished for handball, despite there being little he could do to get out of the way of a flick-on from a corner.
But it wasn’t the only decision that frustrated Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, who also felt Merino had been punched by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer when he tried to claim a cross.
“We were very harshly done by in the sense that is obvious – both penalties,” Arteta told TNT Sports.
“If you are going to give a penalty, the other one has to be because he punches him in the head.
“There is no deflection, nothing you can do in the box, so can he get away from it? If he is going to give that the other has to be 100% a penalty.”
Why was ‘harsh’ penalty awarded?
The decisive moment in the match came seconds before half-time when a penalty was awarded after Mehdi Taremi’s flick on from a corner struck Merino on the hand.
It was a decision that perhaps would not have been awarded in the Premier League, with referees having moved away from awarding “soft penalties” from this season onwards.
“Our approach regarding handball, there’s only a slight change and tweak into where we’re going with that,” former referee Kevin Friend revealed ahead of the season.
“We saw some soft penalties last season for handball. So we’re basically looking for examples where it clearly hits the arm unjustifiably, with hands above the head, or away from the body to deliberately block the ball coming into the box or going into goal.”
That differs from rules in Uefa competitions, and that variation left pundits frustrated on Wednesday.
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said on TNT Sports: “Is the arm in an unnatural position? It isn’t. We have that debate again and it is ruining the game.
“It is fine margins, I don’t believe it is a penalty. The unnatural rule, who is making those rules? Have they played the game?”
Ex-Gunners defender Matt Upson added on BBC Radio 5 live: “It does my head in the way they apply that law in Europe.
“We are miles ahead of that in the Premier League, the referees have the understanding of proximity, the speed of the ball and all those things were tick, tick.
“It is just a bit of common sense.”
As for the incident involving Merino and Sommer at the other end of the pitch, former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott said on Match of the Day: “Merino gets in a good position and [Yann] Sommer comes and physically punches him.
“He’s very unfortunate not to get the penalty and Arsenal were a bit unlucky.”
Arsenal’s tough run continues – the statistics
While Arsenal fans will feel aggreived by the decision to award the decisive penalty, the loss extends a concerning run of statistics:
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Arsenal have lost three of their last six games in all competitions (W2 D1), as many as their previous 32 beforehand (W24 D5 L3).
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The Gunners have also lost successive away matches for the first time since November 2023.
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Arsenal are without a win in their last five away games in the Champions League (D2 L3), their longest winless run on the road in the competition since February 2005 (also 5).
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The Gunners have also failed to score at all in their last four such away games.
‘Creativity not there’ – how much have Arsenal missed Odegaard?
But despite the defeat, there were still some positive signs that the Gunners will soon come out of this frustrating run of form.
They were by far the better side in the second half at the San Siro with Kai Havertz twice denied – first by a fantastic save from Sommer and second by a superb block in front of goal.
There was also the return of Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal captain has been out with an ankle injury since the end of August but came on for the final few minutes of stoppage time.
While his introduction was too late to influence the outcome of the match, it bodes well for the midfielder being more involved in Sunday’s crucial Premier League game with Chelsea.
Odegaard’s influence for Arsenal is clear, with the below table highlighting just how much more likely the Gunners are to win in the Premier League with him in their side compared to without him.
Without Odegaard Arsenal clearly miss a spark of creativity. Against Inter they fired 46 crosses into the box but none of them proved effective.
They also attempted 20 shots in the match, their most without scoring in a single Champions League fixture since November 2006 against CSKA Moscow (23).
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said: “It’s hugely frustrating – 46 crosses is the second most in the Champions League this season but the creativity, the imagination was not there.
“Odegaard has that little bit of imagination. Too often it was slung into the box without any idea.
“The quality Odegaard brings, the calmness the assuredness, the final pass. Those qualities are what set you apart and make you a great team.”