Arsenal lost 1-0 to Inter Milan in the Champions League(Image: Piero Cruciatti/Anadolu via Getty Images)

'Poisonous' - Italian media give brutal Arsenal verdict after Champions League defeat to Inter Milan

07 Nov 2024, 11:30 by Mark Wakefield · football.london

Arsenal lost their first match in the Champions League on Wednesday night as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Inter Milan.

The Gunners conceded a penalty after a handball from Mikel Merino, with the spot-kick being converted by Hakan Calhanoglu to inflict defeat on Mikel Arteta's side at the San Siro.

Arteta argued during his post-match press conference that Arsenal also deserved a penalty for a challenge by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer on Merino.

The defeat leaves Arsenal with seven points after their first four matches in this season's new look Champions League and are in 12th place in the league phase standings.

The Gunners will now prepare for a return to Premier League action this weekend when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their final fixture before the November international break.

Now, football.london takes a look at how the Italian media reacted to Arsenal's defeat against Inter at the San Siro.

Francis Pietrella, for Gazzetta dello Sport, writes: "Arsenal's corners are poisonous. The scheme, already proposed in the Premier League, is simple: four players position themselves five steps from the far post and wait for the ball to be cut into the middle, right in the middle of the six-yard box.

"[Yann] Sommer - a goalkeeper just over 1.80 metres tall, a factor to consider - has to clear the ball away with his big hand on three occasions, and it's not easy. The players try to hinder him by making the most of their height, but the Swiss is good at keeping his gloves up.

"Instead, it's [Mehdi] Taremi's flying passes that make Inter run, good at sending Lautaro [Martinez] and [Denzel] Dumfries through on goal with a couple of high through balls. The turning point goal comes a handful of minutes from the end of the first half. Taremi - again him - sends the ball into [Mikel] Merino's hand following a free kick: clear penalty."

Pasquale Guarro, for Calciomercato, added: "The match against Arsenal was a triumph for Italian style football, something new for Simone Inzaghi's Inter, who until now had been accused of not being able to dress differently depending on the match they were playing.

"A criticism that after last night, Inzaghi's detractors will be forced to eliminate from their collection, given how the Nerazzurri played the match against the Gunners.

"Having scored the opening goal, the Nerazzurri focused mainly on defending the result, perhaps giving up on the game a little too much and leaving the ball excessively in the hands of the guests, who however always found a wall placed in front of them at every advance."

Domenico Calcagno, for Corriere della Sera, concluded: "It wasn't easy for Inter, however. [Denzel] Dumfries hit the crossbar and [Hakan] Calhanoglu shot out in three minutes, then Arsenal took over and forced the Nerazzurri to do what they do worst this year: defend.

"Every cross from the Gunners - from [Bukayo] Saka and [Gabriel] Martinelli above all - set off alarm bells in front of Sommer, who punched away one of those crosses and hit his opponent's head and not the ball, and luckily for him the referee let it go.

"The penalty came from the opposite side and Calhanoglu confirmed that he is infallible in the exercise."

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