With great clarity, Cristian Chivu tried to analyze the defeat suffered by his Inter this evening against an Arsenal decidedly stronger in many respects. Speaking to Sky Sport, the Nerazzurri coach spoke about the match that complicates his team’s chances of direct qualification to the round of 16:

THE MATCH – “They were stronger in terms of intensity and speed, we put in a good performance in the first half, I would say. The episodes also change the team’s attitude, then we were also unlucky on the goal from a set piece. In the second half, they raised their level of focus and humility, and we struggled to create chances. Then they also have the right substitutions to put you in trouble.”

STANDINGS – “We have to wait for tomorrow and see the standings, then see if a win is enough or not, it’s not a problem to play the playoff. There is regret because in these three matches we could have achieved something more, not tonight but against Liverpool and Atletico. I also think about our growth in terms of mentality, a month later compared to those we had faced. I take the courage and our recent growth.”

SUBSTITUTIONS – “We put Andy in at the end, I also thought about switching to a 4-3-3, but I was missing a bit of tactical strength. We played with three forwards, two behind the striker. It’s true that on the right we lacked individual actions and crosses, but nothing to take away from Luis Henrique who played a good game, as did the other guys who, in terms of commitment, were focused until the end.”

ARSENAL – “They have intensity, they attack the box strongly, but not just because of the runs they make, also because of their technical quality. Especially when they enter the box, the play is always right, the control is always right. Then they have quality especially on the right with Saka who, one-on-one, puts you in trouble. We tried to stay in the game, when we won a duel we tried to create something, but it’s also thanks to what this team is and their collective quality. I won’t mention what they’ve spent otherwise I become trivial, but the Premier League is a championship that is top for intensity and in Italy we are not yet used to playing a certain type of match. I try to convey certain plays, but it’s not easy. We try to continue our growth step by step, with the conviction that what we are doing is right.”