Arteta Laments Controversial Penalty Decisions in Arsenal’s Champions League Loss
After Arsenal lost 1-0 to Inter Milan in the Champions League, manager Mikel Arteta voiced his displeasure with several refereeing calls. Despite controlling the ball at San Siro, Hakan Calhanoglu’s injury-time penalty in the first half undid the Gunners.
Referee Istvan Kovacs’ decision to give Inter a penalty after Mikel Merino was deemed to have handled the ball inside the box was the game-changing moment. Arteta disputed this ruling, arguing that it was unjust and had a big effect on how the game turned out.
No Penalty Claim Was Granted
Arteta added to his complaints by bringing up a previous instance in which Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer seemed to strike Merino on the head during an aerial challenge. Although no foul was called, the manager of Arsenal thought this deserved a penalty in his team’s favor.
Arteta feels upbeat about Arsenal’s forthcoming Premier League game against Chelsea in spite of the loss. He underlined the value of perseverance and expressed confidence that his team can bounce back from the Champions League setback to earn a victory at Stamford Bridge.
