Arsenal are irresistible in the Champions League. The London club have just secured their seventh straight win in the league phase and have officially qualified for the Round of 16.
At the heart of a blistering start, Arsenal applied heavy pressure and managed to make Inter’s possession completely ineffective through their pressing. Disciplined in those phases, Arsenal opened the scoring through Gabriel Jesus. Inter then equalized with a thunderous strike from Petar Šušić. With an Arsenal side pressing less aggressively, Inter began to control the game but exposed themselves to counterattacks and set pieces. And it was from a corner that Arsenal scored their second goal of the match, once again through Jesus, who completed his brace.
In the second half, Inter’s intensity dropped, and despite enjoying more possession, Inter were caught out by the Gunners’ counterattacks. In the 84th minute, Gyökeres led a counterattack and, after missing his pass to Saka, pounced on the loose ball at the edge of the box to curl in a magnificent goal.
Inter were once again overmatched, as they have been in every big game. While playing the cowboy against smaller Serie A teams may be enough domestically, it is clear that this squad—largely made up of aging, worn-out veterans—lacks intensity in major matches. And against Arsenal, every mistake was punished.