Martin Keown believes Mikel Arteta got one key decision wrong during Arsenal defeat to Inter Milan

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Mikel Arteta will take time to reflect upon his tactics and game management after Arsenal were beaten by Inter Milan on Wednesday evening.

Arsenal fell to their first Champions League defeat of the season at the San Siro as a Hakan Calhanoglu penalty on the stroke of half-time was enough to condemn them to a 1-0 loss.

Most of the Arsenal players underperformed against Inter Milan, with only Bukayo Saka coming out of this fixture with any real credit. 

Whilst the North London club enjoyed plenty of territory and possession, they were toothless in attack.

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Should Ethan Nwaneri have come on earlier vs Inter Milan?

Leandro Trossard ought to have counted himself lucky to have started this match. Had Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard been fit to start then it would have been impossible to justify the Belgian’s inclusion. 

The former Brighton man’s stock did not rise in Italy either. Trossard was arguably Arsenal’s worst player on the night. 

Meanwhile, whilst he was only introduced to the fray in the dying moments, Ethan Nwaneri added some spark to Arsenal’s play. 

The Hale End academy graduate is still waiting for his first Champions League start, but certainly looks comfortable on Europe’s elite stage.

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown is keen to see more from the teenaged midfielder.

Speaking on TNT Sports in the wake of the match, he said: “I don’t think there is a massive crisis for Arsenal. I don’t think they are far away from getting it right, yes they’re not scoring goals, but Ethan Nwaneri coming on, he should have been on a bit earlier.”

Are Arsenal in a crisis after Champions League defeat?

It would be easy to deem Arsenal’s current predicament a crisis. Certainly, the Gunners are in poor form, and are very much on the back foot when it comes to the Premier League title race. Recent results paint a bleak picture. 

However, there were positives to take from this Champions League loss. Mikel Arteta praised elements of Arsenal’s performance. 

There is still a long way to go in this campaign, and plenty of time for the Gunners to make up for lost ground. However, improvements will need to be seen immediately.