Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta slams penalty calls in loss to Inter

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta slammed referee’s penalty call in their 0-1 Champions League loss to Inter Milan at Stadio San Siro on Wednesday. Hakan Çalhanoglu scored from a spot-kick in first-half stoppage-time to give a decisive lead to his team.

Mikel Merino seemed to have handled the ball at the fag end of the opening half. However, he was punched by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer, 17 minutes ago but the referee had squashed Arsenal’s appeal to award them a penalty.

Arteta was not at all impressed with the referee’s decision.

“I don’t understand [the handball decision],” said Arteta.

“There is no danger at all. You cannot react because the ball is very close. But OK. They decide that is a penalty.

“But if that is a penalty then the one on Mikel Merino where he punches him in the head has to be a penalty 1000 percent. These are the margins in this game and it’s very difficult to accept.

“We were told at the start of the season that wasn’t a penalty. That was clear. Today it was a different story.”

This loss leaves Arsenal in the 12th place in the Champions League standings. Arteta feels this was their best performance despite the loss.

“All the big games we have played in Europe, this is by far the best one that we played in the last few years,” he said.

“If we play the way we played, we have a good chance to win against Chelsea.”

Arsenal will take on Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.