Referee decisions leave Mikel Arteta fuming, 'difficult to accept', says Arsenal coach

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said a 1-0 loss to Inter Milan in the Champions League was “very, very difficult to accept” after two penalty decisions went against his team.

The only goal of the game came just before half-time on Wednesday after Inter were awarded a penalty when a free-kick into the area skimmed off Mehdi Taremi and onto Mikel Merino’s outstretched arm, and Hakan Calhanoglu 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 per cent a penalty. And these are the margins in this game and very, very difficult to accept.”

Calhanoglu’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 equaliser but the Inter defence 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.

Arsenal, who have only two wins from their last six games, hogged possession and had 21 goal attempts to Inter’s seven at the San Siro.

“The worst thing of the night is the result because the performance, the attitude, the dominance that we showed against one of the best teams in Europe in this stadium, I haven’t seen it in all the other games that I’ve watched,” Arteta told reporters.

Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League and travel to face fourth-placed London rivals Chelsea on Sunday.

“If we play the way we played, we’ll have a big chance to win against Chelsea. That’s the way we have to go,” Arteta added.

The Spaniard also provided an injury update on Kai Havertz after the forward was left bleeding from a clash of heads. “Regarding Kai... he’s got a big cut. He needed to come off because he needed some stitches,” Arteta said.