Inter snatched a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the headlining act of Wednesday's UEFA Champions League action, handing the English side their first defeat of the competition in the process.
The game's lone goal came in first-half stoppage time when Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty that was awarded after Arsenal's Mikel Merino was called for a handball. The Gunners did all they could to find the equalizer, boasting around 60% of possession by the final whistle. They also outdid Inter from an attacking standpoint, outshooting the opponent 15-7 and edging them in the expected goals battle 2.53-1.17. The equalizer never came, though, and they are now winless in their last three games.
Elsewhere in Europe, Atletico Madrid collected a 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain while Barcelona and Bayern Munich registered victories of their own. The biggest upset of the day was in Belgium, where Club Brugge beat Aston Villa 1-0.
Liverpool end Matchday 4 atop the Champions League table as the only side with a perfect record. Here's a look at the results from this week's action.
That's a wrap in Milan, where the hosts' defense-first strategy pays off against Arsenal, who had more than 60% of the ball, posted 20 shots and outdid Inter on the expected goals battle by a margin of more than one. The Gunners now have their Champions League loss of the season, their record without conceding a goal in the competition gone, and are now winless in three.
84' What is there to say that hasn't already been said? The game state hasn't changed much since the start of the second half, now boasting 64.2%, eight shots, three on goal and 1.38 expected goals -- and that's just since the break. The elusive equalizer still hasn't come, though, and with such little time on the clock, it's time to start asking if it will
72' At long last, Inter have their first shot of the second half on a quick chance from Dumfries. He takes a powerful strike from an angle but lands in the side netting.
69' Arsenal have spent a lot of time in and around Inter's penalty area this half, posting six shots while Inter have yet to take one since the break. It's starting to feel like one of those games for the Gunners, though, where nothing comes off even though they keep creating some moments of promise. We'll see if frustration sets in or if they can find a breakthrough.
58' Arsenal's habit of winning corners in the first half has continued in the second, and the last few saw them get close to scoring. Gabriel was perhaps as close as anyone, though he can't get a good enough touch on the ball to find the equalizer from close range.
54' Arsenal registered the first couple of shots of the second half but momentum is currently with Inter, who keep building encouraging runs but find themselves stifled by Arsenal's defense.
Arsenal make one change at the half, bringing on Jesus for Merino as they chase the game.
Arsenal may have had more possession and more shots by the time the halftime whistle blew, but their dominance was canceled out by a handball call on Merino. Calhanoglu slotted the ball home from the spot with relative ease, giving Inter an advantage before the break.
Additionally, here's a look at the halftime scores across Europe.
45'+4 After Merino is called for a handball, Calhanoglu steps up to take the penalty for Inter and slots the ball into the bottom left corner, with Raya going the other way. That's the first Champions League goal Arsenal have conceded all season.
45'+2 The back half of the first 45 have been all Arsenal, but Inter's breakaway on one of the Gunners' many corners allows them to take a dash all the way to the other end. As Inter go for goal, Merino is called for a handball and a penalty goes Inter's way. The call passes a VAR check for offside, and Calhanoglu will take it.
40' The Gunners may have been off to a somewhat slow start but as we near the halftime break, they're the ones who have been more convincing as of late -- they're up to five shots, two on target and 0.63 expected goals. Inter finally just posted their first shot since the sixth minute but Gabriel's defensive work means Arsenal were able to keep the hosts at bay.
289 Things have evened out to some degree, with both sides finding promising looks at goal. Saka registers Arsenal's first shot of the target with a shot from an angle, though it's an easy save for Sommer. Merino later follows it up with a brave header a few moments later and wins a corner, showing that momentum might currently be on Arsenal's side.
20' We have a brief stoppage in play as the medical team comes to treat Dumfries, who took a hit during a corner. It's unclear what the issue was, though the medical team was treating his left leg. He runs it off and returns to play after a couple of minutes, though.
12' Inter are dictating play here so far, making runs towards goal as often as they can and have dramatically limited Arsenal's touches in their box at this early stage. The hosts, though, have not had much in terms of quality chances since Dumfries' shot off the crossbar, and they still don't have a shot on target.
2' Inter make a big impact with their first big attacking move of the game, with Zieliński making a run down the left flank before sending the ball towards Dumfries in the box. He takes an impactful shot that looked almost certain to go in but the ball the crossbar. Zieliński takes a stab at scoring with the rebound, but sends the ball a little bit over the bar.
The game is officially underway at the San Siro.
Liverpool are now the last perfect team standing in the Champions League, with Club Brugge registering a surprise win over the English side. Shakhtar, meanwhile, notch their first win of the league phase against Young Boys, who have lost all four of their Champions League games so far.
Inter and Arsenal are two teams with identical records and a strong defensive backbone that means neither side has actually conceded a goal yet in Champions League play. As Jonathan Johnson writes in today's edition of expert predictions, these two teams just might cancel each other out.
Though captain Martin Odegaard has resumed full training, today's game at Inter was too soon for him to make a return from the ankle sprain he sustained in September. Manager Mikel Arteta is going with what feels like a familiar plan from him to make up for Odegaard's loss, a 4-4-2 with Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz up top. The strategy has been a bit hit and miss, as James Benge notes in his bold predictions for Matchday 4.
Last season's Serie A golden boot winner Lautaro Martinez leads the line for Inter, while Leandro Trossard joins Kai Havertz in Arsenal's attack. Here's a look at both teams' lineups.
Inter starting XI: Sommer, Pavard, de Vrij, Bisseck, Dumfries, Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Zieliński, Darmian, Taremi, Martinez
Arsenal starting XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Saka, Partey, Merino, Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard
Matchday 4 of the Champions League got off to a strong start on Tuesday with lopsided victories galore and a few upsets, hopefully setting up for some more entertaining action to close out the week. Inter's clash with Arsenal is today's headlining act, though there might be some other interesting games across the continent. Stick around for updates pre-game and once things kick off at the San Siro.
