The Gunners will be keen to make a statement after their recent 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United, while Inter Milan narrowly survived a scare against Venezia to earn their seventh win of their league season.
Arsenal struggled to break down Newcastle’s defence, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli coming off second-best to their full-back opponents, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall. Now sitting outside the top four in the Premier League table, Arsenal are currently seven points behind leaders Liverpool.
To make matters worse, the club have been rocked by news of award-winning sporting director Edu resigning. This comes at a crucial time for Arteta, who will be missing one of his key allies amidst a challenging campaign. However, there is some hope; Arsenal are still undefeated in Europe this season, securing a 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk on matchday three to reach a respectable seven points in the Champions League standings, placing them ninth overall.
Inter Milan, known for their defensive solidity under Simone Inzaghi, are also yet to concede in Europe this season. A goalless draw against 2022-23 runners-up Manchester City on matchday one was followed by a comprehensive 4-0 win over Red Star Belgrade and a last-gasp 1-0 win against BSC Young Boys.
Inter are now on a run of seven wins from their last eight matches across all competitions, the only blemish being a chaotic 4-4 draw with Juventus. Despite their defensive discipline, the Italian giants were pushed to the brink last Sunday, when relegation-threatened Venezia almost secured a point. A late equaliser was ruled out by VAR for handball, allowing Inter to breathe a sigh of relief.
Inzaghi’s men are aiming to make club history by keeping four successive clean sheets in the Champions League, but they will be wary of Arsenal’s past triumphs in Milan, such as the memorable 5-1 demolition at San Siro in 2003-04. With both sides desperate to secure points and edge closer to the knockouts, a tactical battle is expected.
For Arsenal, drawing away in Italy might be seen as a positive outcome given recent form. They remain ninth in the Champions League standings without conceding a goal so far, following a draw at Atalanta and home wins against PSG and Shakhtar Donetsk. But with key players such as Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Riccardo Calafiori, and Martin Ødegaard (maybe) still unavailable, the challenge will be significant.
Betting odds
Inter Milan are priced at 7/4 to win this encounter, while a draw is available at 9/4. Arsenal, despite their recent setbacks, are slightly favoured at 28/15 to come away with a crucial victory.
First goalscorer
Lautaro Martinez is the favourite to open the scoring with odds of 6/1, while Marcus Thuram and Mehdi Taremi are also strong contenders at 15/2 each.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka follows with odds of 8/1.
Other potential goal scorers include Marko Arnautovic at 17/2, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Gabriel Jesus, both at 9/1, while Leandro Trossard is priced at 10/1. Gabriel Martinelli and Raheem Sterling are longer shots at 21/2, with Joaquin Correa at 11/1 and Hakan Calhanoglu at 23/2.
