Cristian Chivu Points Out The Difference In Quality After Arsenal Handed Inter Their Third UCL Loss

Despite facing the same opponent at the same stadium but with a different manager more than a year after, the results were different when Arsenal came visiting to play against former Serie A champions, Inter Milan at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium with a 3-1 win for the EPL club.

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While Simone Inzaghi was in charge when Inter got a 1-0 win over the Gunners last season on their way to the final of the UEFA Champions League, it was Cristian Chivu who was in charge this time around as Inzaghi left for the Saudi Pro League after a humiliating final loss to PSG.

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Heading into this encounter, the Nerazzurri knew it would be a tough test against a team that had won all six Champions League games so far this season and was seven points clear at the top of the Premier League and as the game progressed, the difference between the two teams became visible.

The away side took the lead but Inter were not be left out as they got back on track with Petar Sucic, but in the end, Arsenal’s quality came to fore as a Gabriel Jesus brace and a late Viktor Gyokeres counter-attack sealed the 3-1 result at San Siro for Inter’s third straight loss in the UCL.

For Chivu, he had these to say when speaking in his post match interview. Those legendary Arsenal set-play routines were also decisive, taking advantage of Inter’s zonal marking to make the runs from the back post in a pack. How were the Premier League side better than the Serie A top team?

“They had more intensity, technique and pace, they occupied the space well, attacked the lines with intensity and speed, the same with the second balls, as they dive into every duel. We tried to stay in the match, we played quite well in the first half and at 1-1 could’ve scored another.” Chivu said.

“That doesn’t mean we would’ve gone on to win, but incidents do change the mood of the teams. We were also unlucky on that goal on a corner, where it bounced off the bar and onto the head of an Arsenal player.” He continued in his assessment of the match with Sky Sport Italia.

“In the second half, Arsenal raised the focus level and were also a little more humble, as there was some arrogance from them in the first half. They sat deeper, have physicality, and of course can bring players off the bench to raise the level further.” He further added.

This was the third consecutive Champions League defeat for Inter, after ending 2025 with losses to Atletico Madrid and Liverpool and as a result, they slide out of the top eight for the first time this season, and could fall even further following tomorrow’s results, as winning the first four games was insufficient.

“We’ve got to wait for tomorrow to see what the table says, if a win will be enough or not. We know that we might have to go through the play-offs, that is not a problem for us,” insisted Chivu and then the question finally got to the team’s struggle against equal and higher opponents this season.

It is undeniable that Inter struggle against the ‘big’ clubs, as they have failed to win any of those matches in Serie A, the Supercoppa Italiana or the UCL. “The regret is that in these three games we could’ve had more, perhaps not tonight, but against Atletico and Liverpool a little more maturity and concentration could’ve made the difference.” He replied.

“I think a month on from those matches, if we had the same attitude we did this evening, then it would’ve been a different result. That’s my supposition, I think those experiences helped us to grow and mature a little more. Despite the difficulties, this squad keeps going with the right attitude, it is ready to play open football knowing there could be problems against the likes of Saka and Trossard.”

“I take home the courage and our recent growth from this match.” Denzel Dumfries is still out of action after ankle surgery, but Chivu was asked if he might’ve introduced someone else to replace Luis Henrique in the second half but he refused to be drawn into any transfer speculations.

“We did introduce Andy Diouf at the end, I had also thought about changing to 4-3-3, but I was lacking an attacking force, and Arsenal introduced Gabriel in defence when they realised that Pio Esposito was causing them problems. We had three strikers at the end.”

“It’s true that we lacked a bit of attacking flair and crosses down the right, but Luis Henrique had a good game, all the lads put in a great effort tonight from start to finish. When these Arsenal players come and surround you, they attack from all angles, they encircle you.”

“I was so impressed with their technique with the ball moving at pace, they make the right choices and first touches, they have the speed of thought to find their teammates quickly and on the right Saka can take men on to cause all sorts of problems.”

“We won a few challenges and went on the counter quite easily in those moments, but Arsenal have so much quality in their squad. I won’t point out how much money they spent, as that would be too banal, but the Premier League does have a very different type of intensity and pace to Italian football.”

“Some of us, including myself, are trying to introduce something more in that sense, the type of moves we want to see, but it’s not an easy process. We’ve got to maintain the belief that we are on the right track.” He concluded in his interview.

As for his opposite number, Mikel Arteta gave credit to Inter and commented on the importance of set pieces as they continue to uphold their reputation in that area with yet another goal from a corner. This was Arsenal’s first Champions League victory on Italian soil since 2008.

“Inter are a great team with fantastic moves that are very difficult to defend against, they know how to attack those lines, and at times we were really dominated, so that makes the result even more special,” Arteta told Sky Sport Italia after full-time in his own post match interview.

Oonce again, the Gunners capitalised on a set-piece routine as Leandro Trossard, the shortest outfielder in the Arsenal side, headed the ball back across the face of goal for Gabriel Jesus to finish off in the six-yard box. “We try to spend the time we have in training, what little there is, to give us the margin for victory, and that includes set pieces,” Arteta said.

“We’ve got a lot of players who can do well in these situations, and we try to make the most of those characteristics.” Arsenal are seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, and the only team to win all seven of their Champions League matches so far this season.

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Do they now have the belief in themselves that perhaps they had been lacking in previous years? “I hope that is true, that we are capable of achieving our targets. It’s still early, but this is a team with a lot of ambition and hunger, so we’ll do our best.” He replied.

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