Mikel Arteta vows Arsenal will rebound back from challenging period following Inter defeat
Mikel Arteta (42) assessed the aftermath of Arsenal's contentious Champions League loss to Inter Milan and expressed confidence that his struggling team will rise from the debris to recover their challenging season.
The Gunners suffered a 1-0 defeat at the San Siro on Wednesday, further intensifying the atmosphere of discontent surrounding a squad anticipated to be strong contenders for both European and domestic titles.
Arsenal controlled significant portions of the match against Inter but lamented a disputed penalty awarded during first-half stoppage time when Mikel Merino was deemed to have handled the ball.
Hakan Calhanoglu successfully converted the penalty, and Arsenal failed to find an equalizer, marking their second consecutive 1-0 defeat following a loss to Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday.
In their last six matches across all competitions, the Gunners have secured only two victories, both of which were unremarkable, against Shakhtar Donetsk in Europe and second-tier Preston in the League Cup.
Currently, Arteta's squad sits in fifth place in the Premier League, trailing leaders Liverpool by seven points as they prepare for a pivotal London derby against Chelsea on Sunday.
Arsenal has struggled for several weeks due to the absence of captain Martin Odegaard, who made his return from injury as a late substitute in the match against Inter. The team has appeared significantly diminished compared to the dynamic squad that contended for the title until the final day of the previous season.
Odegaard's absence has been particularly felt in terms of creativity and relentless pressing. Additionally, manager Mikel Arteta has faced challenges with injuries to key players such as Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber, alongside a series of red cards that have sidelined Declan Rice, William Saliba, and Leandro Trossard.
Compounding these on-field difficulties, Arteta has also had to navigate the unexpected departure of his trusted sporting director, Edu, from the Emirates Stadium.
Edu has reportedly reached a preliminary agreement to take on a similar position at Nottingham Forest and resigned earlier this week after playing a pivotal role in reshaping Arsenal's squad since his arrival in 2019.
Arteta expressed his frustration regarding the situation, highlighting the strong partnership he shared with Edu, which has been instrumental in transforming Arsenal into serious title contenders.
"We have been together on this journey since day one. He was instrumental for me to be where I am and I loved working with him. I enjoyed the journey to have him next to me," Arteta remarked about Edu just prior to the match at the San Siro.
Edu was part of Arsenal's memorable 5-1 victory against Inter in the Champions League group stage 21 years ago. However, the outcome was different on Wednesday, as Arsenal managed 20 shots without finding the back of the net, marking their highest number of attempts without scoring in a Champions League match since 2006 against CSKA Moscow.
In response to the match, Arteta staunchly defended his players, asserting that they were hindered by refereeing errors rather than their own shortcomings in the encounter against Inter.
The outcome is particularly disappointing due to the performance and attitude displayed against one of Europe's top teams in their own stadium, he remarked.
"It is exceedingly frustrating, as there were two critical decisions that went against us. If their incident warrants a penalty, then we should have received one when Mikel Merino was struck in the head."
"Among all the significant matches we have participated in across Europe, this was the finest display I have witnessed from my team in the past two years."
Arsenal cannot afford another defeat against Chelsea this weekend if they wish to maintain their pursuit of a first English title since 2004, following consecutive second-place finishes.
Arteta maintained his positive outlook regarding Arsenal's unexpected situation, stating: "If we perform as we did tonight, the team stands a strong chance of winning at Chelsea."
"This is the direction we must pursue. I have expressed my pride in them. We are certainly disappointed as we did not achieve the desired outcome from the match."
Despite Arteta's hopeful perspective, there are concerning indications that Arsenal's aspirations to finally surpass Manchester City may be destined for disappointment.
SportsLigue