3 standout performers from Arsenal's Champions League defeat to Inter

Arsenal succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Inter Milan on Matchday 4 of the Champions League.

With a number of Arsenal shirts rueing missed chances on the night, Gunners fans will feel they should have taken something from the game. However, a formidable defensive performance from Simone Inzaghi's men meant that there was little room for the visitors to make a breakthrough. It was a frustrating night all-round for the Arsenal attack which huffed and puffed for the duration.

On a somewhat optimistic note, there was a slight positive to take from the night, in that the Arsenal defence coped rather decently amid the intense atmosphere at the San Siro. With just one shot on target conceded, and only a spot-kick being the difference between the two sides, there's little reason to point a finger at Arteta's defenders.

Here are three such players that fared well for this particular reason.

1. Gabriel Magalhaes

Squaring up against Lautaro Martinez, last year's Serie A Golden Boot winner, is far from a straightforward task, but one Gabriel was expected to handle - and he did not do a bad job. The Argentine talisman was limited to just a single shot on goal, as well as just 24 touches of the ball in 62 minutes on the pitch, partly thanks to Gabriel's attentiveness to his movements.

Furthermore, the Brazilian almost opened the scoring with a header from point-blank range from a corner just before half-time. While it was arguably a shaky start for Gabriel, it was a decent performance all-round, and the 26-year-old certainly deserves a smaller share of the blame for the defeat.

2. Jurrien Timber

Among Inter's greatest underlying threats was always going to come from their wide men in Denzel Dumfries and Matteo Darmian. The former in particular, whose pace and delivery into the box could cause problems to any team if given the opportunity. Arsenal had Jurrien Timber assigned to the Dutchman, who largely coped well in his duel, notwithstanding odd moments of hesitation.

The defence was often stretched due to the extensive width of Inzaghi's system, but Timber ensured that opportunities falling to Dumfries were limited. The Inter man managed just three touches in the Arsenal box and failed to deliver an accurate cross from two attempts. On occasion, Mehdi Taremi also drifted wide, which meant Timber was sometimes outnumbered on the flank, though little came from this in favour of the hosts, fortunately.

On the ball, there was some useful energy in Timber's performance, and some of his forays into the final third were promising. He lacked a final pass, however, and perhaps could've made the difference on the night had his deliveries been more accurate, but it was a decent display regardless.

3. Thomas Partey

Amid this poor streak of form for Arteta's side, which has seen just two wins in the last six, Thomas Partey has emerged as an unexpected standout performer. Even in the dismal defeat to Bournemouth a few weeks prior, the Ghanaian impressed on an individual level, and his display at the San Siro, though far from perfect, definitely indicated that his bright streak of form is still alive at least for the moment.

Particularly in the absence of Declan Rice and a fully-fit Martin Odegaard, it was always going to be a tricky night for the Arsenal midfield, but Partey fared well on the whole, albeit with a couple of careless moments early on in the encounter. He completed 56 out of 63 passes, which included nine into the final third, and also helped shore up defensively with six recoveries and four defensive actions.

It has been a rather awkward period for the 31-year-old who has bounced around various positions including midfield and right-back, but he has managed to impress as of late. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, there will be an important decision to make here for Arteta and his entourage.

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