Inter Milan's Best Chance to Hurt Arsenal

MILAN, MONDAY - Arsenal remains unbeaten in the Champions League this season. However, their perfect record is at risk during their visit to Inter Milan's home ground. The urgency of both teams could be a decisive factor. While Inter intends to go full throttle, Arsenal is forced to hit the brakes.

The duel between the leaders of the Italian and English leagues will take place at the San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy, on Wednesday (21/1/2026) at 03:00 WIB. Inter, currently in sixth place in the group standings with 12 points, needs a victory to secure a direct ticket to the round of 16.

The problem is that the home team is already awaited by the toughest opponent, as stated by coach Cristian Chivu. "Arsenal is currently the strongest team, alongside Bayern (Munich). We respect their level and are aware that they will pose challenges for us," said Chivu.

Arsenal was very dominant during the group stage. They were the only team to achieve a clean sweep of all matches, winning six out of six games, including defeating Bayern. Remarkably, the team coached by manager Mikel Arteta has conceded only one goal so far.

We have more players (to choose from) because many have come back (from injury).

The dominance of the visiting team indeed appeared daunting for Inter. However, the context of this match is somewhat different. Arsenal does not need three points. On paper, Arsenal (18 points) has already secured a top-eight position. They also only need one point to qualify mathematically.

There is only one scenario that could cancel Arsenal's direct qualification. Teams ranked second to ninth must win all their remaining two matches while Arsenal must lose consecutively. Meanwhile, "The Gunners" will face the weakest team in the group stage, Kairat Almaty, in the final match.

Arteta is known for his ambition. The manager cannot simply let that match go. However, Arteta is forced to think realistically in the current situation. They will complete their fourth consecutive away match in the last ten days at San Siro later. The Arsenal squad needs to be rotated.

The key players of Arsenal, such as Martin Zubimendi and Odegaard, began to show signs of fatigue when held to a draw by Nottingham Forest over the weekend. This was a domino effect from the match against Chelsea the previous week. Upon returning from Milan, they were already faced with an important match against Manchester United.

Coincidentally, Arsenal has many substitute options that are quite comparable. Players who have rarely received playing time recently, such as Eberechi Eze and Myles Lewis-Skelly, have the potential to be deployed. "We have more players (to choose from) because many have returned (from injury)," said Arteta.

On the other hand, the home team can field its full strength. Unlike Arsenal, which has relied on the same core players over the past week, Chivu has rotated his squad. The coach has alternately rested the striking duo, Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez, in the last two matches.

The last time hosting Arsenal at San Siro, in November 2024, Inter managed to win 1-0 through a penalty goal by Hakan Calhanoglu. The home team is now very different, even though it has only been a little over a year. They are now coached by Chivu, no longer Simone Inzaghi, who led them to the final last season.

Under Chivu, Inter's play has become more aggressive and direct. Martinez and his teammates consistently take the initiative to press high against the opponent's defense when they do not have possession of the ball, rather than waiting in their own half. They also immediately launch counterattacks when they successfully regain possession.

Chivu stated that the playing style will be utilized again against Arsenal. They are not intimidated to compete with Arsenal, which is one of the best teams in high pressing. "We are ready to face this competition. We know our strengths," said the coach.

The upcoming match will also be titled offensive versus defensive. Inter is currently the most productive team in Serie A, having scored 44 goals. Meanwhile, Arsenal holds the status of the team with the fewest goals conceded in the Premier League (14 goals) and the Champions League (1 goal). The meeting of these two poles is highly anticipated.

According to Arsenal winger Noni Madueke, his team will continue to carry extra motivation. They want to redeem themselves after failing to secure a victory against Forest. In fact, if they could have earned three points in that league match, they would have been nine points ahead of their rival Manchester City.

"The draw is certainly disappointing. We wanted to win, but we failed. We will take that point as a lesson to refocus. We have an important match against Inter, a match that we will strive to win. Our journey is still long for the remainder of the season, and we must continue to be consistent," said Madueke.

Inter is haunted by poor results in their last two matches in the Champions League. One of these matches was against another English team, Liverpool, at San Siro. If they lose again, "The Big Snake" risks being pushed out of the top eight positions. (AP/REUTERS)