Christian Kiwu, Inter Milan coach, expressed great admiration for the depth of Arsenal's squad after their 3-1 victory over the Nerazzurri in the seventh round of the Champions League group stage, stressing that his regret was not about tonight’s match but about the team's previous defeats.

Kiwu said: "I was impressed by the density of Arsenal's squad and their ability to play with full strength and precision. We know they have more density, skill, and speed, they exploited spaces well and attacked the lines with power and speed, as well as the second ball, where they participated in every confrontation."

The Inter coach continued: "We tried to stay in the match and played well in the first half, and when it was 1-1, we could have scored another goal. This does not mean we would have won, but events change the mood of the teams."

He added: "We were unlucky with a goal from a corner kick, where the ball bounced off the crossbar and hit the head of an Arsenal player. In the second half, Arsenal raised their concentration level and were a bit more humble after showing some arrogance in the first half. They sat deeper, have physical strength, and of course, they can bring on substitutes to further boost the level."

Kiwu went on: "We have to wait for tomorrow’s results to see if the win will be enough or not. We know we might have to play in the playoffs, and that is not a problem for us. The regret is that in these three matches, we could have done more — maybe not tonight, but against Atletico and Liverpool, a little more maturity and focus would have made a difference."

He explained: "I think that after a month from those matches, if we had the same approach as tonight, the result would have been different. These experiences helped us grow and mature more, despite the difficulties. This team continues to work with the right mentality and is ready to play open football, knowing there might be problems against players like Saka and Trossard."

He added: "We brought on Andy Diouf at the end, and I also thought about switching to a 4-3-3, but we lacked offensive power. Arsenal pushed Gabriel back to defense when they realized Esposito was causing them problems. We ended up with three forwards, and it is true that we missed some attacking creativity and crosses on the right side."

He continued: "When Arsenal players come at you and surround you, they attack from all angles and completely encircle you. I was impressed by their technique, quick ball movement, decision-making, first touch, and quick thinking to find their teammates. On the right side, Saka can face players and cause all kinds of problems. We won some duels and moved to counterattacks easily, but Arsenal has great quality in their ranks."

He clarified: "I won't mention how much money they spent, as that would be cliché, but the English Premier League has a very different kind of intensity and speed compared to Italian football. Some of us, including myself, try to introduce something more of this kind — the type of movements we want to see — but it is not an easy process. We have to maintain the belief that we are on the right path."

He concluded his statements by saying: "What I took from this match is the courage and recent growth of the team, and we must continue working with the same mentality in the upcoming matches."