GABRIEL JESUS FIRES ARSENAL INTO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 WITH DOMINANT INTER MILAN BRACE
Gabriel Jesus scored twice as Arsenal beat Inter Milan 3-1. The Gunners secure a top-eight finish and a place in the UCL last 16.
Gabriel Jesus fired Arsenal into the last 16 of the Champions League with a brace in Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Inter Milan, locking up a top-eight finish for the Gunners.
He struck twice from close range in the first half, and Arsenal walked away with their seventh straight win in the group stage at the San Siro. Now, Mikel Arteta’s got a real selection headache before Manchester United come to the Emirates on Sunday.
Jesus started ahead of summer, signing Viktor Gyokeres—who’s had a tough season—but Gyokeres still made his mark, putting away a tidy finish in the 84th minute to put the game to bed. Jesus just looked sharp all night.
Before this match, Jesus had only started twice all season. He’s finally finding his rhythm again after spending nearly a year out with a torn cruciate ligament.
He was emotional after the game. “It’s a dream night. I always dreamed of being a footballer. I watched a lot of Serie A as a kid, so being here, scoring here—I’ve got tears in my eyes,” he told Amazon Prime. “Things happen for a reason. Whether it’s the good stuff or the tough stuff, you learn. I learned a lot during those 11 months I was out.”
With this win, Arsenal sits on 21 points. Honestly, they were basically through before kickoff—last year, 16 points were enough for a top-eight spot. But Jesus made sure they’re six points clear at the top, with Bayern Munich chasing before their game against Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday.
Inter, who levelled through a fantastic Petar Sucic goal in the 18th minute, now sit ninth. That’s three straight losses in Europe’s top competition—a first in their history.
The Serie A leaders have slipped out of the top eight, and even if they beat Borussia Dortmund next week, their maximum tally is 15 points. So, Inter’s looking at the playoffs, even after starting the group with four wins.
What’s worse for Cristian Chivu’s team is that it’s another big-game flop. They’ve struggled when the stakes are high and were sloppy for both of Jesus’ goals.
Arsenal looked set for an easy night when Jesus poked home the opener in the 10th minute, capitalising after Jurrien Timber mishit a shot. That was Jesus’ first Champions League goal since November 2023.
But Inter hit back fast—Sucic smashed in a beauty, and suddenly Arsenal had work to do.
Sucic nearly had another in the 27th minute, sprinting clear thanks to Lautaro Martinez, but he hesitated, then sent a poor pass to Marcus Thuram, who blasted over.
Four minutes later, Inter paid for that miss. Jesus was left all alone at the back post during one of Arsenal’s clever set pieces. Bukayo Saka floated a corner, Leandro Trossard headed it off the bar, and Jesus was there to finish.
Inter didn’t give up, though. Federico Dimarco and sub Pio Esposito both threatened with angled shots, but Gyokeres finished them off on the break, letting Arsenal fans focus on United next.
MARTIN ODEGAARD AND KAI HAVERTZ MISS FINAL TRAINING; CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES FADING
Arsenal's Champions League hopes are in doubt as Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz miss final training ahead of the Atletico tie.
Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz didn’t show up for Arsenal’s open training on Monday, just a day before the crucial Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid. Both missed Saturday’s comfortable 3-0 win over Fulham because of injuries: Odegaard with his knee and Havertz with a muscular problem.
Odegaard hurt his knee in last week’s draw with Atletico, while Havertz hasn’t played since picking up an issue against Newcastle. After beating Fulham, Mikel Arteta sounded confident they’d be ready for Atletico, but on Monday neither player was seen with the first team. That’s a big hint they won’t be involved at the Emirates.
Arteta is set to speak to the media soon, though don’t expect him to spill much; he’s known for keeping his cards close to his chest when it comes to team news.
There were a couple more missing faces at London Colney. Jurrien Timber (groin) and Mikel Merino (foot) were also absent. Timber hasn’t featured since before the international break, and it’s unclear when he’ll return, but Arsenal hope it’s before the end of the season. Merino’s been out nearly three months since foot surgery. He might not play again this month.
On the upside, Bukayo Saka was back in training after getting subbed at halftime against Fulham, where he started his first Premier League game since mid-March.
Now, Arsenal really have a headache. Odegaard, who scored 15 goals last season, just hasn’t looked the same. Staff are increasingly worried about him; he’s missed 25 games in all competitions this year, thanks to a pileup of injuries: two freak shoulder issues, two muscular injuries, and the recurring knee problem. When he’s fit, Odegaard can still make magic happen; just look at his four assists across six games in January, but right now, his body keeps letting him down.
Havertz’s story isn’t much brighter. He’s managed only 20 appearances this season, mostly because of a serious knee injury in the summer and more muscle problems afterward. He’s Arsenal’s top earner at £280,000 a week, while Odegaard sits fourth at £240,000. Having two high-paid players sidelined so often is not ideal, and Arsenal need answers.
To try to sort out this ongoing injury crisis, Arteta has reportedly brought in a trusted expert from the medical field to lead an investigation. Arsenal hope this move finally sheds some light on their troubled injury record.
DECLAN RICE ACCUSES REFEREE OF CRUMBLING UNDER PRESSURE IN MADRID PENALTY DRAMA
Arsenal head to the Emirates with a 1-1 draw, but Declan Rice is fuming over the officiating standards in the Champions League.
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Declan Rice didn’t hold back after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw in Madrid, backing Mikel Arteta’s outrage and insisting the team deserved a “clear” penalty. He even went so far as to say that Atlético Madrid’s fans pushed the referee, Danny Makkelie, into changing his mind.
Arteta was livid. Late in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal, Makkelie first pointed to the spot for Arsenal after Eberechi Eze went down. But surrounded by Diego Simeone’s wild sideline antics and the roar of 70,000 Atleti supporters, Makkelie stared at the replay 13 times, then flipped his call and waved play on.
Looking back on it, Rice couldn’t believe it. “It’s a clear penalty,” he said. “I don't know how that's not been given. I think the fans got to him and changed his mind. UEFA is just a different world. In both boxes, you have to be so careful because referees call everything.”
Arsenal ran into trouble with VAR twice. First, the ref ruled Ben White handled a Llorente volley, and Julián Álvarez buried the resulting penalty, cancelling out Viktor Gyökeres’ earlier spot-kick. Rice felt for White. Talking with Stan Sport, he said, “If that happens in the Premier League, it doesn’t get given. The ball’s hardly off the ground, and it’s not even on target. But in the Champions League, the refs make these snap calls and whistle for everything. It’s just more strict. But whatever, we move on. We want to beat them next week.”
Despite the drama, Arsenal is still in a solid spot. They’ll head back to London, hoping the home crowd can push them into their first Champions League final since 2006. Bukayo Saka, freshly back from an Achilles injury, is counting on it. “We’d have liked to win, but we’ll take the draw. It’s halftime, and we’re full of confidence going back to the Emirates,” he said. “I’m sure the atmosphere will be even bigger, and that will give us a real boost.”
Before that return leg, Arsenal face Fulham at home on Saturday. They could put more heat on Manchester City by stretching their Premier League lead, though City still has games in hand and plays Everton next. The race is on.
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