Arteta vows Arsenal will recover from troubled spell

Mikel Arteta surveyed the wreckage of Arsenal’s controversial Champions League defeat at Inter Milan and insisted his spluttering side will emerge from the rubble to salvage their troubled season.

The Gunners crashed to a 1-0 loss in the San Siro on Wednesday, adding to the growing sense of turmoil around a team that was expected to mount a strong challenge for European and domestic silverware.

Arsenal dominated for large periods against Inter, but were left to rue a controversial penalty in first-half stoppage time when Mikel Merino was adjudged to have handled.

Hakan Calhanoglu converted the spot-kick and Arsenal were unable to muster an equaliser as they fell to a second successive 1-0 defeat after Saturday’s Premier League loss at Newcastle.

The Gunners have won just two of their last six games in all competitions, with those victories hardly impressive against Shakhtar Donetsk in Europe and second-tier Preston in the League Cup.

Arteta’s team are languishing in fifth place in the Premier League, already seven points behind leaders Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s crucial London derby at Chelsea.

Hampered for weeks by the absence of captain Martin Odegaard — who finally returned from injury as a late substitute against Inter — Arsenal have looked a shadow of the vibrant team that took last season’s title race to the final day of the season.

Odegaard’s creativity and tenacious pressing has been sorely missed, while Arteta has also had to deal with injuries to Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber, as well as a rash of red cards that cost him the services of Declan Rice, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard.

As if their on-pitch travails weren’t concerning enough, Arteta has seen his trusted sporting director Edu make a shock exit from the