- Arsenal suffered a narrow defeat against Inter Milan after a controversial penalty.
- Mikel Merino was penalized in first-half stoppage time for a handball in the area
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A controversial first-half penalty saw Arsenal suffer a 1-0 defeat against Inter Milan in a setback to their Champions League campaign.
Mikel Merino was penalized on the stroke of half-time for handball after the ball hit the Arsenal midfielder from close range inside the area following a free kick.
Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty to give the Italian champions the lead at San Siro.
Mikel Arteta’s side were unable to find an equalizer in the second half, with the Gunners suffering back-to-back defeats following their weekend defeat against Newcastle.
Mail Sport’s Issan Khan rates the players as Arteta’s side came up short in Milan.
Hakan Calhanoglu scored from a penalty and gave Inter Milan the lead against Arsenal.
Arsenal’s Mikel Merino was penalized for a handball on the stroke of half-time at San Siro
Mikel Arteta’s side suffered their first defeat of their Champions League campaign
ARSENAL (4-4-2)
DAVID RAYA: 6
It was fortunate that Denzel Dumfries’ first shot hit the crossbar. Defeated by a good penalty.
BEN WHITE: 5.5
He didn’t overlap on the wings, suggesting he may still be getting over an injury.
GUILLERMO SALIBA: 6.5
He did his best not to stretch in wide areas. He missed a good opportunity to score in the second half.
GABRIEL: 6.5
His pace saved him and his team a couple of times, making last-minute interceptions.
Ben White didn’t match up much during the match, suggesting he is still recovering from an injury.
Inter Milan did well to restrict the supply to Bukayo Saka and kept the Arsenal star contained
JURRIEN WOOD: 6
I had a very physical battle with Dumfries. He did well to progress the game into the final third.
BUKAYO SAKA: 6
The opposition was right to cut the supply to the extreme. And when Saka got the ball, Inter’s players kept him contained in limited spaces.
THOMAS FIESTA: 6
They lost the ball from the beginning, which almost ended in a goal after three minutes. He recovered well in the middle with composure.
MIKEL MERINO: 5.5
He struggled to gain a foothold in the game. He awarded a penalty for accidental handball. Hooked on the break.
GABRIEL MARTINELLI: 6.5
It became an exit in the future after initial pressure from Inter. He made some good crosses into the area.
Merino had a hard time getting a foothold in the game and Arteta hooked him up at half-time
Kai Havertz was ineffective in the first half and was moved to midfield in the second.
KAI HAVERTZ: 5.5
Ineffective in the first half, so he moved to the center of the field.
LEANDRO TROSSARD: 5.5
He didn’t get into threatening positions and when he had the ball, he didn’t know how to take advantage of it.
Substitutes
GABRIEL JESUS: 6
He came in with energy and tried to impact the game with moves into dangerous areas.
INTER MILAN (3-5-2): summer 6.5; Pavard 6.5, De Vrij 6, Bisseck 6; Dumfries 6.5, Frattesi 6 (Barella 62min, 6), Calhanoglu 7.5 (Asllani 71, 6), Zielinski 6 (Mkhitaryan 62, 6), Darmian 6; Taremi 6, Martínez 7 (Thuram 62, 6).
