Inter - on the bus. 100 percent

Seventh victory in a row in Champions League group stage

Warm-up routines

If I’m attending a match in person, I always try to watch the warm-ups closely to spot some hidden dynamics. The session at the San Siro kicked off with the goalkeepers putting in the work. As with my previous visits, I was blown away by David Raya’s distribution. He was pinging 50-metter balls into the opposition half that landed no more than a metre away from his target—Tommy Setford, in this instance. The return balls from Tommy weren’t anywhere near the level of precision David was producing.

About 15 minutes later, the outfield players emerged, traditionally split into two groups. After clocking who was who based on the usual giveaways—height, hair, and build—my first instinct was to track down Ethan Nwaneri. He’s been heavily linked with a loan move to Marseille until the end of the campaign. Usually, the players in the free-format drills split into pairs or trios based on obvious connections: compatriots, age groups, or tactical proximity. Jesus was warming up with Martinelli, Zubimendi with Merino, Eze with Saka and Madueke, and Saliba with Timber.

Ethan, as expected, was knocking it about with Myles. A few minutes later, once the players were split into starters and subs, Ethan found himself passing with his supposed mentor, Declan Rice, and Noni Madueke. (As an aside, Gyökeres was warming up with Ødegaard—despite claims that Martin snubs him on the pitch—and Gabriel joined them shortly after). After keeping a close eye on Nwaneri during the drills, it became clear that the Marseille rumours are not rumours anymore. He was the last to join the sprints and didn’t look like he was giving even 50%. He had the look of a player who knows he isn’t in the consideration for tonight or the weekend.

I’ve touched on this before, but Nwaneri is a talent with a massive ceiling. He possesses a unique skill set: top-tier dribbling, the ability to protect the ball in tight spaces, and a lovely shooting technique. Most importantly, he doesn’t get bullied off the ball by Premier League defenders. That’s a serious foundation for a world-class career. I’ve watched Arsenal youngsters for over 20 years, and the only ones who impressed me this much at that age were Cesc, Wilshere, and Saka. Even Saka, for all his talent and dribbling abilities back then, was perhaps a bit behind Ethan in a couple of departments. Of course, it all comes down to development. Saka has that elite mentality which propelled him to the top, but I haven’t seen any red flags regarding Ethan’s attitude.

I’m not convinced Marseille is the ideal environment to prepare for the Prem, but word is Arteta chose it for the coaching style and the guarantee of minutes. Apparently, there’s even a clause in the contract, though I’m not sure how much weight that carries. It’s not De Zerbi’s money on the line, so if he needs to bench Nwaneri, he’ll do it without blinking. For me, Bournemouth would have been the shout. Iraola is a class manager, and their style involves a massive amount of out-of-possession work and pressing. Crucially, it would have got Ethan up to speed with the intensity and physicality of the English top flight. It’s possible, however, that Iraola wasn’t willing to guarantee the game time.

I reckon Ethan could have been a real asset this season, especially when we’re struggling to unpick a low block. But Arteta clearly doesn’t trust him yet, and in this scenario, Ethan is just wasting his career instead of investing in his development. The fact we’re demanding minutes without a buy option suggests that Arteta and the club still see a future for him in North London, which is some consolation.

The other player I was monitoring was Eberechi Eze. Unfortunately, he looked like a man short on confidence during the routines. Back in September, before the Forest game, Eze was one of the few finding the corners with almost every strike. This time, his shooting was middle-of-the-road. It was Leo Trossard who was busy cleaning the cobwebs out of the top bins on San Siro.

One interesting tactical nugget: when the session shifted to the starting XI, the defensive pairings on each side were putting in some serious 5-minute drills together—Timber with Saliba, and Mosquera with Myles. Then, I saw something quite unusual. Gabriel Heinze gathered all the defenders—starters and subs alike—into a tight huddle and spent a good few minutes talking solely to them. You can see it in the center of the picture below.

The starting XI had a decent bit of rotation baked in. Personally, I’d have gone with Martinelli over Trossard and Nørgaard instead of Zubi, but it’s encouraging to see Arteta keeping one eye on the United game.

The Coming of Jesus

One thing that really grated in the stadium was the way the Arsenal squad was announced—it felt like someone rattling through the side effects in a pharmaceutical ad to dodge a lawsuit. I could barely parse half the names. The announcement was roundly booed, but I just wanted those loud Italians to know each name that was coming today on the pitch to punish them.

It’s the first time I’ve witnessed that at a match and it felt outright disrespectful. But you know what? Jesus is watching everyone from above, and when you sin like that, the punishment comes to you soon from the man. In the 10th minute, to be precise. As the only man in the box hungry enough to gamble on a bad shot, Gabriel Jesus clinically converted our early dominance. We threatened from the first whistle and could have easily bagged more in a first half that certainly rattled a traditionally arrogant Italian crowd.

The most intriguing tactical shift was the new midfield setup—a left-sided six, a right eight, and a left ten. It was essentially a mirrored version of our usual shape with Ødegaard in the side, which the average position maps bear out.

Average positions and pass map of Arsenal players - Opta

I’m happy that Arteta is finally experimenting with setups to make us less predictable and allow us to hurt teams from different areas. You could argue it should’ve happened sooner, but it’s good to see Mikel showing some tactical flexibility. Part of the thinking was clearly to better accommodate our new number 10, and with so much changing around him, it made sense to have Zubimendi anchoring things as the one stable element in the everchanging life of our gaffer.

Jesus’ opener blew the game wide open, forcing Inter to respond aggressively in front of a demanding home support. The officiating, frankly, was poor. We’re used to a high standard from Champions League refs, but this one completely caved under the pressure of the crowd, falling for every cheap trick and whistling every time an Inter player hit the deck. On the flip side, he wasn’t brave enough to point to the spot at our end, despite there being a touch of a contact in the box.

While Inter certainly had their chances, I’d much rather watch Arsenal involved in a proper end-to-end spectacle than the 0-0 bore-fests of the previous weeks. Inter’s threat primarily came from their wing-backs pushing high in that 3-5-2, often catching our fresh defensive midfield partnership cold. Myles was targeted by their number 11 a few times, but despite having bags of pace, the Inter man looked mentally overawed by the occasion. You could see the nerves in his stride right before he pulled the trigger. Ironically, he was also the one playing Jesus onside for the opener.

In the middle of the park, however, Zucic—a name I’ll admit was completely new to me—was incredibly bold. Not only did he grab the equaliser, but he put a couple on a plate for the Inter strikers. Luckily, Mosquera, fresh back in the squad, had Thuram in his pocket. Inter’s main man, who’s bagged 11 in 23 this term, was kept completely quiet by our young defender. It was hugely reassuring to see a player in his debut season step up so effortlessly in the backyard of last year’s finalists.

Trossard, who had been largely peripheral, produced an absolute peach of a volley for Jesus in the 30th minute. He put it on a sixpence, and Gabi wasn’t going to miss from there. I honestly can’t fathom why Inter let Simone Inzaghi go. A year ago, this was a disciplined, well-oiled machine with no obvious weaknesses. This time around, they were not at the mark anymore—failing to hold the line for the first goal and then having two centre-halves challenge for the same ball for the second.

Both sides had chances to add to the scoreline—Saka was a constant menace down Inter’s right, while Di Marco saw a double effort brilliantly kept out by Raya.

The other big takeaway from the first half was that Eze looks half of the player we saw in the autumn. It feels like Arteta’s treatment has completely sapped the flair out of him. On the telly, you only see the man in the spotlight, but in the ground, you can watch him for the full ninety. Comparing this to the Forest game in September, the difference is night and day. His movement felt mechanical, the spark was gone, and he just wasn’t demanding the ball. He fluffed a chance early in the second half, too—the sort of opening he would’ve buried in the NLD with his eyes shut.

Tellingly, when he was hooked in that double sub with Timber, Eze walked off around the perimeter of the pitch. It’s not common for a player of a winning team to exit like that. Usually they might put in a token sprint before slowing down to wind down the clock. Eze just walked the long way round, as if he was trying to avoid the camera spotlight.

I tracked his walk and noticed there was no handshake or hug with Arteta. Unlike the other lads, once Eze reached the bench, he didn’t bother with his warm-up coat. For about 10 minutes, he just sat there in the same position and same gear he’d arrived in. It didn’t look right to me at all.

I reckon Eze was properly hurt by the treatment he’s had. Every player has a different character; some might slack off on the pitch (as Ozil did when he wasn’t feeling it) and would fully expect a bit of discipline afterwards. In those moments, they either take it on the chin or go for the “how dare you?” approach, but the punishment isn’t a shock.

Eze strikes me as a lad who simply doesn’t get why he’s being disciplined. His mistake wasn’t intentional; it’s just that he isn’t used to being part of a defensive line and tracking back. He didn’t skip his duties because he was lazy; it was an honest error, and now he can’t fathom why it’s seen him frozen out for a month. And don’t start with that “too many minutes” rubbish. Even if he was slightly overplayed, he could have rested for a fortnight and then come back into the fold. Instead, after featuring in every single game since he signed, he sat on the bench for a whole month in the Prem before getting a mere 10 minutes against Forest.

I get that Arteta needs everyone to stick to the same standards, but you shouldn’t change the treatment so drastically. Dropping him for a couple of games or rotating him would make sense, but freezing a player out completely can break their spirit. I’m starting to doubt Eze is the one to shine in the big games for us. That behaviour is exactly why I’m a bit worried about Nwaneri—none of our number tens look capable of carrying us to the finish line, so we need all the help we can get. And just this morning, word’s gone round about Eze being scolded by Arteta in training on multiple occasions recently.

The issue is that our third-choice number ten is Merino—the duel winner—and not Ethan. Nothing against Merino — he won the most aerial duels yesterday (six) against a tough side, often without even needing to jump, just by using his frame properly. But I don’t think we look convincing with Merino as a “ten”.

A strong finish

The next pair to be hooked were Mosquera and Jesus. When I first saw Gabriel pulling on his Arsenal shirt, I thought it was a bit of a wasted sub. However, while Gabriel was getting ready, Inter’s new striker Esposito was using his physical presence to get the better of Mosquera and came agonizingly close to an equaliser. The sub was clearly made to settle the nerves.

I didn’t expect Jesus to be taken off, though. The man was flying after his first goal—linking the play, winning long balls despite having a massive Acerbi for company, and creating openings for others. There was one moment where his pass put Saka one-on-one with Sommer, but Saka took an age and the ball was cleared. While Bukayo didn’t look selfish against Inter, his finishing instincts still look a world away from last season. Everything else—the dribbling, crossing, and set-pieces—was top drawer, but the finishing ….

Back to Jesus—you’d think when a player is full of confidence, you’d leave them on as long as possible. The only logic is that Arteta wants to keep that momentum going for Sunday. The final sub saw Martinelli replace a fading Trossard. The stadium announcer didn’t just disrespect our squad; he also embarrassed himself. He was reading the subs based on whatever numbers he thought he saw on the board, so according to him, Norgaard came on for Mosquera and Kepa (our prospective left-winger) replaced Trossard.

That fifth sub meant neither Kai nor Madueke got a look-in. It’s getting a bit concerning with Havertz. If he’s building fitness, a run-out against Inter seemed like the perfect chance. I don’t know if Arteta is trying to wrap him in cotton wool to avoid heavy tackles, but it’s a worrying trend.

Gyokeres, who came on for Gabi, started by giving some bull-riding lessons to Acerbi.

A few minutes later, following a mouthwatering trivela pass from Martinelli, he found himself with Saka in a 2-v-3 counter. The initial pass didn’t quite come off, but the rebound fell to Viktor, who tucked away a classy strike. Finishing is his bread and butter, and he needs to be pulling the trigger whenever the chance on the reasonable distance arises.

A 3-1 scoreline was a fair reflection of the match and means we’ve secured a 100% record in the Champions League group stage. Let’s be honest, winning all eight was never about Kairat; it was about whether we could take maximum points at the San Siro. With all due respect, even our second string—names like Madueke, Norgaard, Mosquera, and White—is individually far superior to the Kairat squad.

We’re charging towards 24 points from 24 in Europe, and given the caliber of opponents (one home and away game against top-8 sides), this is a record that could stand for years. To score 20 so far (top joint number) and concede just two is a tall order even for this Arsenal side to replicate. We’re guaranteed top seeding for the knockouts, and we’ll be waiting to show them what we’re about on return legs at the Emirates.

Still massive

None of it will matter come Sunday evening in North London, though, when a temporarily revitalised Manchester United roll into town. It remains to be seen whether they can actually dispatch bottom-half sides with any regularity, but their blueprint for us is clear: a disciplined mid-block, lightning-quick vertical transitions, and a front four with the individual quality to snatch a result from a single half-chance. We typically thrive against sides that want to come out and play (Brighton, for instance), as we’re far more comfortable defending on the front foot or when the shackles are off (like at the San Siro), but a deep block with a clinical sting is always our toughest nut to crack.

It’s especially tricky when we’re missing our primary creative sparks. Odegaard would likely be marked out of the game, Eze’s relationship with Arteta remains frosty at best, Calafiori is injured, and Ethan looks to be packing his bags for Marseille. With Saka having laboured through the full ninety in midweek, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Madueke get the nod at the Emirates. The former Chelsea man often lacks that final bit of end product, but his ability to beat his man is undisputed. He’s a nightmare for any full-back in a one-v-one duel. Letting him terrorise their backline for an hour before unleashing a fresh Saka for the final thirty minutes to finish the job feels like the most efficient way to get the best out of Noni’s raw attributes.

Martinelli looked back to his best at the San Siro and why wouldn’t he? Inter were forced to chase an equaliser, which gave him the sort of grass to run into that he absolutely relishes. There won’t be that luxury on Sunday, so I’d much prefer to see Trossard’s craft in tight areas. There’s also a massive question mark over the number nine spot. Jesus is brilliant in congested spaces when he’s on it, and Tuesday night’s showing has once again sparked the debate that the Champions League is simply his playground.

I only buy into the “competition specialist” tag if there’s a tactical reason behind it. Martinelli shines in Europe because teams actually want to attack us, especially at home, rather than just parking the bus. Jesus probably finds more joy in the CL because he gets that extra yard of space and extra second of time to turn and link the play. He won’t get that against United unfortunately. It’s also worth noting his record against them is fairly dismal: one goal and zero assists in fifteen outings, with that solitary strike coming in the 97th minute of a home win two seasons ago when the points were already in the bag.

Jesus record against Man Utd - transfermarkt

Gyokeres also struggles for efficiency when he’s denied space to run into. The most logical shouts for the role are Havertz or Merino, yet Arteta seems oddly hesitant to deploy both of them together since Jesus returned to the fold.

This is as massive as it gets. Despite United’s years of turmoil, we’ve rarely truly dominated them at our place. You have to go back to 2015 to find a time we really put them to the sword, when Sanchez, Cazorla, and Ozil absolutely shredded their defence. It’s high time we revived that energy and reminded them that the “crime” committed alongside Mike Riley to stop us reaching 50 unbeaten will never be forgotten!