Arteta encouraged by Arsenal’s display despite narrow loss to Inter Milan

MILAN: Arsenal’s inconsistent form continued on Wednesday night as they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League, yet manager Mikel Arteta praised his team’s spirited display against one of Europe’s elite. Despite controlling the game and registering 21 shots to Inter’s seven, the Gunners were undone by a controversial penalty just before halftime.

Arteta remained upbeat about Arsenal’s performance at the San Siro, noting the team’s intensity and composure. “The worst thing of the night is the result because the performance, the attitude, the dominance that we showed against one of the best teams in Europe in this stadium, I haven’t seen it in all the other games that I’ve watched,” he said.

The defeat marks Arsenal’s fourth game without a win in their last six outings, placing them fifth in the Premier League standings. They now turn their attention to a crucial London derby against fourth-placed Chelsea on Sunday, with Arteta confident that a repeat of their Milan display could yield success. “If we play the way we played, we’ll have a big chance to win against Chelsea,” he added, rallying his squad to build on the positive aspects of their Champions League performance.