Referee Controversy Frustrates Arteta in Arsenal’s Defeat to Inter

Arsenal’s Champions League campaign took another blow on Wednesday night as they were beaten 1-0 by Inter Milan at the San Siro.

Despite dominating much of the game, Mikel Arteta’s side were undone by a contentious penalty in injury time during the first half.

The Gunners now face a mounting challenge as they prepare for a crucial Premier League clash with Chelsea this weekend.

Controversial Penalty Decisions Spark Arteta’s Fury

Arsenal were left frustrated by referee Istvan Kovacs’ decisions during their Champions League loss.

The match’s only goal came from Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty, awarded after Mikel Merino was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box.

Arteta, however, felt the decision was harsh and inconsistent with earlier rulings in the season.

The Arsenal boss also pointed to a moment in the first half when Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer collided with Merino as he attempted to punch the ball.

Arteta argued that this should have been a penalty for his side.

Speaking after the match, he expressed his frustration: “I don’t understand. There is no danger at all. You cannot react because the ball is very close. We were told at the start of the season that wasn’t a penalty, and today it was a different story.”

He continued, “If that is a penalty, then the one on Mikel Merino where he punches him in the head has to be a penalty, 1,000 percent. These are the margins in this game and it’s very, very difficult to accept. I am extremely frustrated because these are two decisions that marked the course of the game.”

Arsenal’s Dominance Unrewarded

Despite the penalty, Arsenal were the better side throughout the match.

They dominated possession with 63% of the ball and created far more chances, registering 20 shots compared to Inter’s seven.

However, the Gunners could not find a way to breach Inter’s defence or make the most of their opportunities.

Arteta was keen to highlight his team’s performance despite the result, saying, “This is the way I want to see my team. Of all the big games we have played in Europe, this is by far the best one we have played in the last few years. I haven’t seen them play in Europe in the manner they have today. And we are very disappointed because we didn’t get what we wanted out of the game, that’s for sure.”

Looking Ahead to Chelsea

With Arsenal now sitting in a tough spot in their Champions League group, Arteta will be looking to quickly turn things around when his side faces Chelsea on Sunday in the Premier League.

The Gunners are currently on a three-game winless streak in the league, and Arteta has urged his team to build on their performance against Inter to get back to winning ways.

He remains confident ahead of the London derby, saying, “If we play the way we played here, we have a good chance to win against Chelsea. I told them I’m proud of them.”

Arsenal will be hoping that their positive performance in Milan can serve as a platform for a vital victory at Stamford Bridge.