After a defeat to Newcastle in round 10 of the Premier League last weekend, Arsenal continued to suffer another defeat when visiting Inter in round 4 of the Champions League qualifying round. In this match, despite having 20 shots and controlling the ball better, the "Gunners" could not score any goals. On the contrary, they also received a penalty after Mikel Merino touched the ball in the penalty area.
In this match, captain Martin Odegaard returned from injury from the bench. However, the Norwegian star's form has not been as good as before. Therefore, whether Odegaard is in this match or not will not help the "Gunners".
"This year, Inter did not win Serie A but in the Champions League, they are very eager to make a difference. Since then, the Italian team has been very well prepared.
Throughout the first half, Arsenal was pressured by Inter many times. We have seen the maturity and maturity in the home team's playing style. Many fans may regret the Gunners being in a penalty spot, but I think it was the referee's correct decision because Mikel Merino's hand was wide open.
Arsenal had a full defense in this match, from which Thomas Partey was pushed up to replace Declan Rice. However, that was not enough for this away trip because Rice's role was huge.
In the second half, after falling behind, Arsenal sent both Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard onto the field, thereby continuously creating more pressure, especially receiving many corner kicks. However, that is still not enough and it is a pity for them" - Commentator Quang Huy shared.
In 20 shots, Arsenal only had 4 of them on target but did not score any goals. The midfield without Declan Rice is a huge loss, but it cannot be denied that the "Gunners" attack played very poorly.
"From last season to the beginning of this season, I have always maintained the view that Arsenal must add a true striker. At the beginning of this season, when everything was going well, many people said it was not necessary because the team was doing very well in set-piece situations.
When Jesus came on, we saw that he was no longer in form. From there, Arsenal must feel more pressured to add more personnel to this line" - Commentator Quang Huy commented.
After the loss to Inter, Arsenal are continuing to fall freely. In the Premier League, they were knocked out of the Top 4 after round 10 and are now 7 points behind Liverpool. Meanwhile, in the Champions League qualifying round, Mikel Arteta's team fell out of the Top 10.
Although the season is not yet over a third, with increasingly intense competition in all competitions, this achievement is considered a red alert for Mikel Arteta and his students.
"For Arsenal at the moment, confidence is the most important thing. After poor results in the Premier League, combined with the loss to Inter, Mikel Arteta's confidence is eroding. However, football reflects life and it is constantly moving. Arsenal have to overcome it with each match. This is the time when their pillars gradually return. From there, it is hoped that the "Gunners" can play well in the coming rounds to make up for what they have lost in recent matches.
Before this 4th match, Arsenal and Inter were the two rare teams that had not conceded any goals in the Champions League. Today, they conceded for the first time. Many people have thought about the prospect of a very serious situation and thought that the "Gunners" will decline even faster than last season, but I do not agree with this view" - Commentator Quang Huy shared.
