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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Barney Ronay

Arsenal have lost their fluency and Ødegaard’s return won’t solve it all

Martin Ødegaard applauds the travelling support after coming on late in Milan, his first Arsenal appearance since August.
Martin Ødegaard applauds the travelling support after coming on late in Milan, his first Arsenal appearance since August. Photograph: Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images

To borrow a line from Catch-22: just because you’re trailed around the continent by a frothing cloud of online paranoia over questionable refereeing decisions, doesn’t mean the game isn’t also out to get you.

Arsenal were undoubtedly a little unlucky in the divvying up of competing penalty claims during the first half of this 1-0 defeat by Inter at the San Siro. But bad luck does also tend to look for a space to loiter, a ledge on which to perch. The continent-wide Masonic refereeing conspiracies may eventually get you in the end. But you can also make it difficult for them.

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