Inter Milan vs Arsenal live updates: Champions League score as ...

All 36 teams have played four league-phase matches, so we are halfway through the first stage of this season's Champions League.

What a start Brest and Monaco have made, as the two French teams occupy a place in the top eight beneath Liverpool who are the only team to have won all four games. The top eight qualify automatically for the round of 16.

Below them, plenty of big hitters are marooned in midtable. Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid may have to settle for the play-offs as a route into the round of 16.

And if you look further down, you'll find PSG who would be eliminated if they finish outside the top 24.

A quick break away from the reaction at San Siro to bring you some of our other Champions League coverage.

Michael mentioned before this one started about a bizarre penalty incident involving Tyrone Mings and Aston Villa. Well, The Athletic's Elias Burke and Jacob Tanswell have explained why the England defender was penalised with a mention to a similar incident involving Arsenal's Gabriel last season.

Well worth a read at the link below.

GO FURTHER

Explaining Tyrone Mings’ ‘very strange’ penalty error – and why he was punished but Gabriel was not against Bayern

Let’s delve into the thoughts of our subscribers over on our Discuss tab tonight — these all coming from Arsenal supporters. You can pop in yourself here.

???? Stephen Y: “Reminded me of Bayern last year. I felt we looked good but did we really threaten? Constant crosses. It looks stale. Glad Odegaard is back.Hopefully he can get fit quick, and hopefully Havertz is alright. He’s been very good lately.”

???? Jim W: “We can’t keep starting Trossard and having Havertz lay back in midfield. It isn’t working, and it’s breaking everything else. Trossard’s form has fallen off a cliff.”

???? Peter D: “We dominated possession at the home of the most dominant team in Italian football just now. We had a soft-ish penalty against us yet never got a valid penalty claim ourselves. Add to that, we had the ball millimetres away from being a goal and Inter had a fortunate block to deny Havertz. Yes, I have concerns about our creativity but that should improve on coming games and our defensive team are all back. My biggest concern just now is Merino. I just don’t see what he’s meant to be adding.”

Arteta then focused on the performance itself, something he was happy with despite the defeat:

???? “With the amount of situations and chances we generated, we should have scored at least a couple of goals.

“That’s on us but the way the team played, that was us tonight. The level of energy, quality, how we arrived in the box and how we dominated one of the best teams in Europe in their stadium.

“I’m very proud of them.”

Arteta was then pressed on which of the two penalty decisions he was frustrated about:

???? “Both. If you’re going to give a penalty in the box, obviously that one has to be because (Sommer) punches (Merino) in the head.

“(Merino) cannot see (for the awarded Inter penalty). It was not a shot, it was just a deflection. There was no danger in the box and there was nothing he could do. The ball is very, very close to your body, I don’t know how you can get away from it.

“But if you’re going to give that one, the other one is 100 per cent a penalty.”

Mikel Arteta was not happy as he spoke to TNT Sports after the game:

???? “I’m very proud of my players and the game we played. The level of domination that we had and the way we played, I feel we were very harshly done tonight.”

That felt like a coming-of-age performance from 23-year-old Yann Bisseck in the heart of the Inter defence.

He was absolutely sublime throughout and his goal-saving block in the 75th minute was just as vital as Calhanoglu's converted penalty.

I'm not sure anyone inside San Siro could believe that he had denied Kai Havertz on that occasion, including the Arsenal forward!

Lots of performances to admire for the home side this evening, but none better than Bisseck.

One moment was all it took. Once Hakan Calhanoglu had slotted away his penalty just before half-time, Inter knew they had something to protect — and they protected it.

Not many of their full-time numbers are different to what they registered at the break. Here they all are…

FT: Inter Milan 1-0 Arsenal

Arsenal had the ball, took the shots and stuck a 2 on the front of their xG. But by that point, Inter trusted their defensive record — and they were right to.

Some late drama in the Champions League tonight, as Atletico Madrid beat PSG in Paris with the very last kick of the game.

Elsewhere, Barcelona were rampant again while Bayern Munich narrowly made it past Benfica after a delayed kick-off. Huge victories for RB Salzburg, Brest and Atalanta as well.

Even though they have lost the game, it will have been heartening for Arsenal fans to see Martin Odegaard back of the pitch.

They played relatively well tonight, but continued to struggle to create chances in open play. If anyone can unlock their attacking threat, it's the Norwegian.

So, after tonight, Arsenal have scored just three goals in their first four Champions League games of this season.

And, as I said at half-time, all three of them scored in the first half.

Arsenal's lack of a cutting edge desperately needs rectifying by Mikel Arteta, and it cannot be fully blamed on the absence of Martin Odegaard.

When Inter won their first-half penalty, I'm sure some of their supporters were nervous.

But they shouldn't have been when they saw Hakan Calhanoglu standing over it.

Since he joined the club a couple of years ago, he has now scored all 19 penalties that he has taken across all competitions. Among the players to have scored all of their spot kicks in that time in Europe's top five leagues, Calhanoglu has taken the most.

As for Arsenal, their sticky patch continues. The missing figures are clearly hurting their quality at both ends of the pitch.

They were much improved after the interval, and they really tried to force the issue and force an equaliser.

The fact Inter still looked reasonably comfortable says this Arsenal team has got a little way to go before they can be considered major competition to go really deep in this tournament.

How far can Inter Milan go in the Champions League this season? As far as anyone on this evidence.

That is a strong squad that has no kept FOUR clean sheets in four Champions League games and looked in control of that, even when Arsenal tried to go through the gears.

They have the experience. They have the quality. And they look in great knick.

FT: Inter Milan 1-0 Arsenal

There it is. The final whistle. Inter remain unbeaten in the Champions League, reaching 10 points and almost certainly making it past the league phase.

All thanks to Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty on the brink of half-time.

As for Arsenal, they huffed and puffed but couldn’t quite find an equaliser so have been dealt the first defeat of their European campaign.

90+7' Inter Milan 1-0 Arsenal

We’re still going. Complaints from Inzaghi and that earns him a more traditional booking compared to the one Mikel Arteta earned earlier, for handball.

90+5' Inter Milan 1-0 Arsenal

Into the final minute of added time.

Inter Milan still yet to concede a goal in four Champions League games…

90+1' Inter Milan 1-0 Arsenal

Ouch. Havertz takes a blow to the head after an aerial challenge with Bisseck.

Both players need treatment, although the bloodied face of Havertz say he came off worse.

It also looks like Martin Odegaard is coming on for the final five minutes.

Indeed, here he is for the final five minutes and his return from injury. Havertz makes way.

Ethan Nwaneri is also on in place of Trossard.