Chivu Says Inter Regrets Champions League Struggles, Not Arsenal Defeat

Arsenal beat Inter 3-1 at San Siro in the Champions League, with Cristian Chivu accepting that the Premier League side played with greater intensity, while still regretting Inter’s wider three-match losing run that threatens direct qualification from the group stage.

Gabriel Jesus struck twice and Viktor Gyokeres added another for Arsenal, while Petar Sucic had briefly drawn Inter level before half-time. Inter had started this Champions League campaign with four straight wins, but three defeats in a row have now left the team outside the automatic qualifying positions in ninth place.

Chivu reflected that the current slump equals Inter’s longest losing streak in the competition, matching runs from 2006 and 2011. The latest setback came with half

of the penultimate round of fixtures still to be completed, so the final table could shift again before Inter know exactly what result is required.

Attention now turns to the closing matchday, where Inter may need to secure progress through the play-offs rather than directly. Chivu accepted that scenario, while stressing that the group could still change depending on midweek results elsewhere, which will clarify how much is at stake in that last game.

"We've got to wait for [Wednesday] to see what the table says, if a win [in our last game] will be enough or not," Chivu told Sky Sport Italia. "We know that we might have to go through the play-offs, that is not a problem for us. The regret is that in these three games we could've had more, perhaps not [against Arsenal], but against Atletico [Madrid] and Liverpool, a little more maturity and concentration could have made the difference. I think a month on from those matches, if we had the same attitude we did this evening, then it would've been a different result. That's my supposition. I think those experiences helped us to grow and mature a little more. "

Although Inter lost, Chivu pointed to signs of development within the squad. The coach felt that lessons from the defeats against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool had influenced the display against Arsenal, particularly the team’s mentality and willingness to play proactive football against high-level opponents.

"Despite the difficulties, this squad keeps going with the right attitude; it is ready to play open football, knowing there could be problems against the likes of [Bukayo] Saka and [Leandro] Trossard. I take home the courage and our recent growth from this match. "

Inter actually finished with more attempts than Arsenal, but created fewer clear chances overall. David Raya had four saves from Inter’s 18 shots, while Arsenal generated stronger openings at key moments and were more efficient in front of goal, helped by Jesus’ clinical finishing and Gyokeres’ late strike.

Team	Goals	Shots	Shots on target	Expected goals (xG)
Inter	1	18	4	1.3
Arsenal	3	17	Unknown	2.1

Chivu underlined that Arsenal edged the contest through speed, technical quality and superiority in duels. Inter’s coach argued that Inter were competitive for long spells, especially before the break at 1-1, yet lacked the precision and focus in decisive episodes that might have changed the course of the match.

"They had more intensity, technique and pace, they occupied the space well, attacked the lines with intensity and speed, the same with the second balls, as they dive into every duel," Chivu said. "We tried to stay in the match; we played quite well in the first half and at 1-1 could've scored another. That doesn't mean we would've gone on to win, but incidents do change the mood of the teams. We were also unlucky on that goal on a corner, where it bounced off the bar and onto the head of an Arsenal player. "

Defeat at San Siro. pic.twitter.com/pJToW4p7HY Inter (@Inter_en) January 20, 2026

Chivu also highlighted the contrast between the two halves. Arsenal, in the coach’s view, adjusted their approach after the interval, becoming more compact and pragmatic while still threatening on transitions, supported by the physical strength and depth available from Mikel Arteta’s bench.

"In the second half, Arsenal raised the focus level and were also a little more humble, as there was some arrogance from them in the first half. They sat deeper, have physicality, and of course can bring players off the bench to raise the level further. "

For Inter, the defeat adds pressure ahead of the final group fixture, but Chivu stressed that the squad has gained maturity from this demanding run. The coach left San Siro disappointed with results yet encouraged by attitude, believing those improvements could prove important when qualification is finally decided.