Arsenal news: Opinion – Frustrating night for Gunners

It was another frustrating night for Arsenal as they were beaten by Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Gunners had not conceded a goal in the competition until the penalty which meant they lost the match in Italy.

The new expanded competition means that the loss is not as damaging as it might have been previously; however, the manner of the defeat and the performance raises questions for Mikel Arteta.

It is back-to-back 1-0 defeats now and follows on just a couple of weeks after the 2-0 loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League.

In between these losses, Arsenal have beaten Shakhtar Donetsk and Preston North End as well as having a hard-fought draw against Liverpool, but it is the performances during these matches which have created a feeling of concern.

In the past couple of seasons especially, Arsenal have played with a level of control in their play meaning they have seen out tight games when they have needed a result.

They have been hampered with injuries and Martin Odegaard’s absence has highlighted just how important he is to the team.

Against Inter, although Arsenal dominated the ball, they did not have a creative spark and fired in 46 crosses into the box without scoring.

Odegaard came off the bench and that will be the biggest positive that Arteta can take. Supporters will hope that with him back, the Gunners’ attack can start being more fluid for the match with Chelsea on Sunday.