MILAN (AP) — Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said a 1-0 loss to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday was “very, very difficult to accept” after two penalty decisions went against his team.
The only goal of the game came just before halftime after Inter was awarded a penalty when a free kick into the area skimmed off Mehdi Taremi and onto Mikel Merino’s outstretched arm, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu converted from the spot.
Merino had a penalty appeal of his own rejected earlier in the match – after being checked by the video assistant referee – when he appeared to be punched in the head by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer as they both went for a cross.
“Well, I don’t understand, it’s just a deflection,” Arteta said on the penalty that was awarded against Merino. “There is no danger all, you can not react because the ball is very close. But OK, they decide there is a penalty. But then if that’s a penalty, the one on Mikel Merino, you know, when he punches in the head, it has to be 1,000% a penalty. And these are the margins in this game and very, very difficult to accept.”
Çalhanoğlu’s penalty was the first goal conceded by Arsenal in the Champions League this season.
And Arteta felt his team should have got more from what he said was “by far the best (match) that we played in the last few years” in Europe.
Arsenal pushed hard for the equalizer but the Inter defense withstood wave after wave of attack.
“(I’m) extremely frustrated as well because there are two decisions that at the end marks the result and the course of the game,” Arteta said.
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