š„šļøArsenal were just minutes away from being punished by UEFA after what they did in Milan yesterday
Arsenal are in Milan ahead of the Champions League game against Inter at the San Siro.
The Gunners are in a good place in Europeās elite club competition. They have won two and drawn one of their first three games, which is a very good record.
Mikel Arteta will be hoping to continue winning in the Champions League, especially considering that his sideās recent form in the Premier League has been shocking ā no wins in their last three games.
That makes the game on Wednesday night very important, but things havenāt completely gone to plan for Arteta and Arsenal so far.
Arsenal came close to getting punished by UEFA before Inter Milan clash
Arteta is a disciplinarian himself, so the last thing he would want to do is break the rules.
The Arsenal manager has got in trouble a few times for his antics on the touchline and comments in front of the media, but for the most part, he has stayed away from hot water.
However, in Milan on Tuesday, Arteta and Arsenal couldāve faced punishment from UEFA for a delay in their pre-match press conference.
UEFA rules state that all press conferences should be held between 12:00 pm and 8:00 pm local time. There are no exceptions unless it has been agreed in advance with the organisation.
Arteta was scheduled to hold his press conference at 7:00 pm local time on Tuesday, but neither the Arsenal manager nor Bukayo Saka were anywhere to be seen.
The reason behind the delay is unclear at the time of writing, but as the clock got close to 8:00 pm, journalists waiting for them wondered if Arsenal are about to get punished.
Thankfully, Arteta arrived just minutes before 8:00 pm and Arsenal narrowly avoided any punishment from UEFA.
Arteta explains what makes Inter Milan ātricky and unpredictableā
Inter Milan will be Arsenalās biggest test in the Champions League so far this season.
Simone Inzaghi has built a terrific side, and the Nerazzurri are a very difficult side to beat. Even Manchester City couldnāt get the better of them when they faced them.
Arteta is well aware of the Italian championsā strengths, and he explained the tough test his side are expected to face on Wednesday night.
He said, as per Arsenal.com: āI think they have a really clear idea and identity and that for me is the biggest strength of Inter and thatās full credit to the manager.
āHe has some very specific ideas, especially in ball possession, the way he moves the position of certain players to occupy different spaces and this makes it tricky and unpredictable.
āBut to be fair, we face in the Premier League a lot of tactical issues that we have to resolve and hopefully tomorrow weāre going to do that as well.ā
Arsenal heads to their Champions League clash with Inter Milan in a crucial moment, aiming to extend their impressive European run. With two wins and a draw from their first three group-stage matches, Mikel Arteta’s side has shown strong form in Europe, contrasting with their recent struggles in the Premier League, where they’ve failed to secure a win in their last three matches.
Despite Arsenalās smooth path in the Champions League, there was a moment of potential trouble leading up to the Inter match. UEFA nearly sanctioned Arsenal for a delayed press conference, which had to be held between 12:00 pm and 8:00 pm local time. Scheduled for 7:00 pm, Arteta and Bukayo Sakaās late arrival brought them close to the deadline, but they narrowly avoided penalty by arriving just before 8:00 pm.
Arteta is under no illusion about the challenge Inter presents. In his pre-match comments, he praised Interās tactical complexity and manager Simone Inzaghiās unique style, especially in possession, which makes Inter “tricky and unpredictable.” Arteta noted that although this will be Arsenal’s toughest Champions League test so far, the team faces similar tactical challenges in the Premier League, and he hopes this experience will help them adapt against the Italian champions.
