Cristian Chivu Praises Arsenal as One of Europe’s Elite After Inter Milan’s 3-1 Champions League Defeat
Inter Milan took a thrashing from Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League on a pretty dismal Tuesday night at the San Siro – the Gunners handing Inter a 3-1 defeat.
And while Inter boss Cristian Chivu was gracious in defeat, he had to admit that the Gunners are one of the top teams in the competition.
The loss means Arsenal keep their perfect record in the league phase of the competition intact and they’ve now secured a place in the last-16 and wrapped up home advantage in the knockout rounds to boot.
Arsenal’s Display with a Whole Load of Rotation
Mikel Arteta took a mighty big risk and made seven changes to his lineup from the weekend’s draw with Nottingham Forest showing just how deep this squad really is.
Gabriel Jesus scored twice in the opening 45 minutes – either side of Petar Sucic‘s right on cue equaliser for Inter – before Viktor Gyokeres sealed the win for Arsenal with a late strike.
Despite Inter doing their best to stay in the game, the visitors quality and clinical finishing just proved a bit too much for the home side.
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Chivu’s Thoughts On The Night
After the match, Inter boss Cristian Chivu spoke to Amazon Prime and took it on the chin – admitting the loss was tough but saying at least his side had given it a go:
“Tough night for the loss. We tried to stay in the game and tried our best. We had our chances at 1-1. We tried our best in the second half but the changes and quality they had put us under pressure.”
He continued:
“We knew this was one of the best teams in Europe. They’re first without losing. The depth is important. We tried to play our game, tried to get something out of it but it didn’t happen.”
Chivu highlighted Arsenal’s attributes:
“We knew Arsenal were good. They have quality, pace, intensity, individual players. When we managed to win duels we then created chances, but we didn’t take them. Arsenal deserved to win because they were more clinical.”
Chivu Ranks the Gunners Among Europe’s Elite
As a 2010 Champions League winner with Inter, Chivu comes out all guns blazing in praise of Arsenal’s current form, saying:
“In my opinion, Arsenal with Bayern Munich are the two best teams for the moment but anything can happen when the latter stages come in.”
He serves a warning that the knockout rounds are anything but a foregone conclusion, even for favourites like the Gunners.
What This Victory Means for Arsenal
The win helps to stretch out Arsenal’s unbeaten run in the Champions League – and it puts them firmly in the mix for the title. With some real depth and a fair bit of momentum on their side, the Gunners just keep on impressing the rest of Europe.
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Cristian Chivu Praises Arsenal as One of Europe’s Elite After Inter Milan’s 3-1 Champions League Defeat