Inter Milan 1-3 Arsenal
Champions League report 
by Layth Yousif at San Siro

THE monsters from north London won in the mighty San Siro.

The pre-match headline in the pages of Italy’s iconic pink sports daily newspaper proclaimed Cristian Chivu’s Inter Milan were ready to: “Assalto ai mostri,” translated as ‘attack the monsters,’ in a nod to Arsenal’s successful set piece muscularity.

Yet, it was Mikel Arteta’s impressive side that did the majority of attacking in this open game, aided by Inter’s desire to push forward, and fight fire with fire.

Such an enterprising mindset is succour to Arteta’s powerful team, allowing Gabriel Jesus to grab a brace, while Viktor Gyokeres netted a late second half strike to hand Arteta a selection headache, as the rampant Gunners won again in Europe, to make it seven wins on the bounce in Europe’s premier club competition.

“It’s a dream night,” the popular Jesus said with emotion, after the Gunners maintained their 100 per cent record in this season’s Champions League with a club-record seventh successive win in the tournament.

“I always dreamed of being a footballer. I watched when I was a kid. I watched a lot of Serie A, so to be here in this stadium and score here is tears in my eyes because I always dreamed of being here.”

After speaking so well during his pre-match press conference the night before at the soon to be demolished San Siro, including hailing the club’s loyal travelling support following a question from the Morning Star, Jesus let his football do the talking on Tuesday evening in front of more than 72,649 fans, including more than 4,000 travelling Gooners at the mighty Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

Jesus’s two goals ended a run of 10 Champions League games without scoring — the last one coming in a 6-0 win over Lens on November 29, 2023, with the player adding: “It is always difficult to play against Inter Milan. We came here last season and lost. Tonight we played better than them, we controlled them, but they are a top team and they attack.”

Following Jesus’s first half brace, to make it a total of 26 goals in 53 Champions League appearances also counting his time at former club Manchester City — including an opener after only 10 minutes — Gyokeres then grabbed an excellent third with six minutes remaining. A clinical long-range strike that flew past Nerazzurri keeper Yann Sommer, to make it nine for the season, and two in his last three games, albeit only his second from open play in his past 13 games.

Ever the team player, Jesus, making only his third start since returning in December after 11 months out with an ACL, generously acknowledged his Swedish colleague, saying: “Everyone wants to start. I am a very respectful guy. I am not a kid anymore, I am 28, so I understand football.

“I am very happy Vik came on and scored a goal. I am so happy I scored and Vik scored. I am confident Kai [Havertz] will score when he gets the chance.”

Majestic Arsenal utterly bossed Serie A leaders Inter at this grand old stadium, to guarantee a place in the round of 16 after moving a whopping six points clear at the top of the 36-team Champions League group, to secure a top-eight finish. Thereby avoiding the need for two extra play-off games next month, as well as securing home advantage in the knockout rounds.

Despite a superb long-range effort from Petar Sucic to level for Inter on 18 minutes, after Nicolo Barella’s initial effort was blocked, Jesus’ second just after the half-hour mark put the visitors firmly in charge.

Speaking to local news after the match, deflated Inter boss Cristian Chivu said: “Arsenal impressed me more than other teams, they always make the right play, they always cause you problems, they always make the right play.”

Chivu, who was an outstanding left-back, won three Serie A titles and the Champions League under Jose Mourinho at Inter back in 2010, and whose team lead Serie A by three points from city rivals, AC Milan, who closed the gap by beating Lecce 1-0 at the same venue on Sunday evening, reflected, adding: “The Premier League in terms of intensity is truly top level, in Italy we’re not used to it.

“I’m trying to get this thing into [my team] but it’s not easy.

“We’re trying to grow step by step, we need conviction that we’re doing the right things.”

Jesus’s pair went a long way to extending the Gunners’ perfect record in Europe this term - while also boosting all-important momentum ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster clash with a rejuvenated Manchester United.

It is a game in which Jesus has now firmly put himself in contention to start ahead of Gyokeres, even if the 28-year-old Swede underlined his potential with an 84th minute goal, for his third in this tournament so far during this campaign, which promises so much for Arteta and his team.

“We’re very proud, not only for tonight’s game, but what we’ve done in the competition so far in seven matches,” said Arteta after the match, after his side made it four wins in four different competitions this month.

No wonder Arteta made seven changes to his starting XI on a chilly January evening in this relentlessly stylish city in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. With the visit of Michael Carrick’s side already looming large at the weekend, there were starts for key players including William Saliba, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka.

With rock-bottom FC Kairat from Kazakhstan to visit North London next week, Arteta added: “With one game to go, to be already in the position that we want to be is a massive prize to the team, because we know how difficult it is, and then tonight it was a test.

“Probably we didn’t have the necessity in terms of the points, but we really had the hunger and the desire to come to a place like this, against a top, top side, and prove what we are and what we can do. I’m really pleased with what I’ve seen.”

With the Red Devils next on the horizon, Arsenal’s ‘monsters’ simply keep on going, in pursuit of what could be a truly momentous year for the north Londoners.