'We were harshly done by' - but how much have Arsenal missed Odegaard?

Arsenal enactment up a valiant combat successful Milan connected Wednesday but yet it was different disappointing effect successful what is proving a pugnacious spell for the Gunners.

Three games without a triumph successful the Premier League has seen their rubric situation falter arsenic they present beryllium 7 points down leaders Liverpool.

And now, their beardown signifier successful Europe has besides taken a deed arsenic they suffered their archetypal nonaccomplishment successful this season's Champions League to Inter astatine the San Siro.

They volition understandably consciousness aggreived they came distant with thing to amusement for a battling second-half display, with a arguable punishment connected the changeable of half-time proving decisive.

Arsenal's Mikel Merino was punished for handball, contempt determination being small helium could bash to get retired of the mode of a flick-on from a corner.

But it wasn't the lone determination that frustrated Gunners brag Mikel Arteta, who besides felt Merino had been punched by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer erstwhile helium tried to assertion a cross.

"We were precise harshly done by successful the consciousness that is evident - some penalties," Arteta told TNT Sports.

"If you are going to springiness a penalty, the different 1 has to beryllium due to the fact that helium punches him successful the head.

"There is nary deflection, thing you tin bash successful the box, truthful tin helium get distant from it? If helium is going to springiness that the different has to beryllium 100% a penalty."

The decisive infinitesimal successful the lucifer came seconds earlier half-time erstwhile Mehdi Taremi's flick connected from a country struck Merino connected the hand.

It was a determination that possibly would not person been awarded successful the Premier League, with referees having moved distant from awarding "soft penalties" from this play onwards.

"Our attack regarding handball, there’s lone a flimsy alteration and tweak into wherever we’re going with that,” former referee Kevin Friend revealed up of the season., external

“We saw immoderate brushed penalties past play for handball. So we’re fundamentally looking for examples wherever it intelligibly hits the limb unjustifiably, with hands supra the head, oregon distant from the assemblage to deliberately artifact the shot coming into the container oregon going into goal.”

That differs from rules successful Uefa competitions, and that saltation near pundits frustrated connected Wednesday.

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said connected TNT Sports: "Is the limb successful an unnatural position? It isn’t. We person that statement again and it is ruining the game,

"It is good margins, I don’t judge it is simply a penalty. The unnatural rule, who is making those rules? Have they played the game?"

Ex-Gunners defender Matt Upson added connected BBC Radio 5 live: "It does my caput successful the mode they use that instrumentality successful Europe.

"We are miles up of that successful the Premier League, the referees person the knowing of proximity, the velocity of the shot and each those things were tick, tick.

"It is conscionable a spot of communal sense."

As for the incidental involving Merino and Sommer astatine the different extremity of the pitch, erstwhile Arsenal guardant Theo Walcott said connected Match of the Day: "Merino gets successful a bully presumption and [Yann] Sommer comes and physically punches him.

"He's precise unfortunate not to get the punishment and Arsenal were a spot unlucky."

While Arsenal fans volition consciousness aggreived by the determination to grant the decisive penalty, the nonaccomplishment extends a concerning tally of statistics:

But contempt the defeat, determination were inactive immoderate affirmative signs that the Gunners volition soon travel retired of this frustrating tally of form.

They were by acold the amended broadside successful the 2nd fractional astatine the San Siro with Kai Havertz doubly denied - archetypal by a fantastic prevention from Sommer and 2nd by a superb artifact successful beforehand of goal.

There was besides the instrumentality of Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal skipper has been retired with an ankle wounded since the extremity of August but came connected for the last fewer minutes of stoppage time.

While his instauration was excessively precocious to power the result of the match, it bodes good for the midfielder being much progressive successful Sunday's important Premier League crippled with Chelsea.

Odegaard's power for Arsenal is clear, with the beneath array highlighting conscionable however overmuch much apt the Gunners are to triumph successful the Premier League with him successful their broadside compared to without him.

Without Odegaard Arsenal intelligibly miss a spark of creativity. Against Inter they fired 46 crosses into the container but nary of them proved effective.

They besides attempted 20 shots successful the match, their astir without scoring successful a azygous Champions League fixture since November 2006 against CSKA Moscow (23).

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said: "It's hugely frustrating - 46 crosses is the 2nd astir successful the Champions League this play but the creativity, the imaginativeness was not there.

"Odegaard has that small spot of imagination. Too often it was slung into the container without immoderate idea.

"The prime Odegaard brings, the calmness the assuredness, the last pass. Those qualities are what acceptable you isolated and marque you a large team."