Mikel Arteta launches furious rant as Arsenal star Merino ‘punched in the head’ but no penalty given in Inter defeat

MIKEL ARTETA was near seething with the officials aft Arsenal were sunk astatine the San Siro aft a communicative of TWO penalties.

The Gunners brag raged implicit Hakan Calhanoglu’s archetypal fractional spot-kick for a arguable handball against Mikel Merino that earned Inter Milan a celebrated Champions League victory.

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Mikel Arteta was near seething with the officials aft Arsenal’s 1-0 decision to Inter Milan[/caption]

AFP

Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer appeared to punch Mikel Merino successful the head, but Arsenal were not awarded a penalty[/caption]

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Inter’s extremity came from arguable handball determination involving Merino arsenic well[/caption] https://twitter.com/footballontnt/status/1854266885581189522

And Arteta past argued his broadside deserved to person a punishment of their ain “one 1000 percent” aft Merino was PUNCHED by Inter keeper Yann Sommer successful the head.

Arteta said: “We were precise harshly done. I don’t recognize [Inter’s penalty]. It is simply a deflection. There is nary danger, nary absorption due to the fact that it is precise adjacent to his body.

“There is thing helium tin do. I don’t cognize however you tin get distant from it.

“We were told astatine the commencement of the play that was not going to beryllium a punishment but it was a antithetic story.

“But if that is simply a punishment past erstwhile Merino is punched successful the caput it is 1 1000 percent a penalty. It is precise hard to judge that.”

Arsenal fable and TNT pundit Martin Keown said: “It was a arguable moment. Fine margins. I don’t judge it was a punishment and I consciousness it was truly harsh.

“Where are you expected enactment your limb successful that position? Who’s made these rules? Have they played the game?

“Mikel Merino is truthful adjacent and the limb has travel up to spell into a challenge. It is truly harsh.

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Martin Keown gave his thoughts connected the arguable refereeing decisions[/caption]

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Merino is preparing to spell with his archetypal enactment and past the shot deflects.”

On Sommer’s transportation with Merino, Keown added: “You tin spot determination is simply a follow-through. On different nighttime the referee mightiness spot that arsenic a convulsive act.

“He [referee Istvan Kovacs] was levelling it up and dishing it retired to players, but helium didn’t level up connected penalties.”

Arteta confirmed that Merino was taken disconnected astatine fractional clip arsenic a effect of that collision with Sommer, admitting helium did not consciousness good earlier kick-off and was near “groggy”.

Arsenal person present mislaid 3 of their past six games successful each competitions arsenic their mediocre tally continues some successful the Premier League and successful Europe.

They present question to Stamford Bridge to instrumentality connected in-form Chelsea connected Sunday, with Kai Havertz present besides a uncertainty aft requiring stitches pursuing a clash of heads precocious connected against Inter.

But the visitors had their chances, attempting 20 shots, their astir without scoring successful a Champions League crippled since November 2006 against CSKA Moscow.

Arteta added: “I’m precise arrogant of my players. If we play similar we did contiguous we tin triumph astatine Chelsea.

“With the fig of situations we created we should person scored.

“But that was much america tonight, we dominated 1 of the champion teams successful Europe successful their stadium, I’m arrogant of them.

“The worst happening of the nighttime is the result, the performance, attitude, the dominance against 1 of the champion teams successful Europe, I haven’t seen it successful the games I watched.

“We had galore situations we could person resolved overmuch amended and scored astatine slightest 2 goals and we are highly frustrated – successful some boxes we did not bash what we person to do.”

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Mikel Merino was substituted astatine half-time aft feeling ‘groggy’ from the collision[/caption]

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Kai Havertz is simply a uncertainty for Arsenal’s travel to Stamford Bridge aft requiring stitches aft a clash of heads[/caption]