Inter v Arsenal: Champions League – live | Internazionale

90 min +1: Havertz has taken a nasty whack, and the blood is pouring down his face. He’s getting bandaged up. Bisseck has an ice-pack atop his head as well, but it’s the Arsenal man who’s come off worse.

90 min: Havertz and Bisseck clash heads as they compete for a high ball, just inside the Inter six-yard box. The whistle immediately goes so the players can receive treatment.

89 min: Saka crosses in from the right. Pavard heads clear. This is a proper attack-versus-defence exercise now.

88 min: Now Gabriel has a whack from the edge of the D. Bisseck, who along with Dumfries has been immense tonight, blocks.

87 min: San Siro suddenly gets loud in the hope of dragging the home side over the line. They’re nearly silenced immediately, though, Havertz latching onto a dropping ball just inside the box, and lashing it towards the top right. Just a bit too high. A decent effort conjured out of very little.

85 min: Arsenal continue to probe patiently. But Inter are past masters at sitting back and soaking up pressure, and the clock is not the Gunners’ friend.

83 min: This is all Arsenal in terms of possession and territory. Sommer hasn’t had that much to do, though, the Havertz curler aside.

82 min: Arsenal make a double swap. Nwaneri and Zinchenko come on for Timber and Trossard. “I think Trossard is like a piano player for a rock band,” begins Russell E as he bids the Belgian farewell for the evening. “Sometimes you need him to play a brilliant solo to tie a piece together, and sometimes you can count on him to play some steady chords in the background, but mostly he just stands around and hits a few notes without making any real difference (please note: I am a piano player).”

80 min: There’s no out for Inter. The tension among the home supporters is palpable.

79 min: Inter make their last sub, removing Taremi in favour of Dimarco.

77 min: Arsenal continue to push Inter back. On TNT, Tony Hadley Rio Ferdinand points out that this is where they’re missing the creative influence of Martin Ødegaard. Time for a quick cameo from the captain?

75 min: A huge chance for Havertz, who brings down a low left-wing cross on the penalty spot, swivels and shoots towards the bottom right. Bisseck arrives from nowhere and deflects the ball wide, with Sommer beaten, his feet planted. Arsenal so close to an equaliser! Again!

73 min: Another Arsenal corner. Martinelli slaps it in from the left, Havertz clanks it out for a goal kick. “Two unforced penalties for handballs and now Arteta is getting in on the action,” notes Justin Kavanagh. “English teams not handling themselves well in Europe tonight.”

72 min: Barella has the opportunity to shoot, but lays off to Dumfries to his right. Dumfries slices wide. This doesn’t feel like it’ll end 1-0, but then we thought the same up at Newcastle last weekend, and look what happened there.

71 min: Çalhanoğlu makes way for Asllani.

70 min: There’s suddenly a bit of an edge to this. Jesus skittles Çalhanoğlu, who stays down. Arsenal play on. Inter aren’t happy. But then they counter through Thuram anyway. Thuram has options, but dallies over the pass so long that Martinelli arrives to steal it off his toe. Everyone suddenly on a rolling boil.

68 min: Barella thinks he’s won a free kick so snaffles the ball. Jesus has won it instead, though. Barella is booked for holding onto the ball, while Jesus follows him in there for attempting to punch it out of his hands. Grown men here!

67 min: “Have Arsenal played their trump card by bringing on Jesus to play on the right wing? Hey, you gotta laugh or you’d cry, right?” Simon McMahon, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here for the next four years. Try the Big Mac meal.

65 min: That rare specimen, a Saka corner that isn’t anything to write home about.

64 min: The ever-animated Mikel Arteta is booked for handling the ball while it was still in play, inches from rolling over the touchline. It’s not exactly Tyrone Mings levels of farce. It’s not some pre-mediated nonsense in the style of Diego Simeone all those years ago. An accidental, over-excited misjudgement. But it leaves the referee with no option but to book the Arsenal manager. To be fair to Arteta, he takes the punishment in good grace and with a wry smile.

62 min: Inter respond by making a triple change. Zieliński, Martínez and Frattesi make way for Thuram, Mkhitaryan and Barella.

60 min: Havertz drifts in from the right and loop-curls the ball towards the top-left corner. It’s dropping in. Sommer does very well to claw out for a corner, from which Arsenal cause all sorts of bedlam in the Inter box. A series of blocked shots. Inter eventually hack clear. Arsenal getting closer and closer. So much better from the Gunners.

58 min: Saka causes more bedlam with one of his inswinging corners from the right. Taremi eyebrows it backwards across his own goal-line from a couple of yards. Dumfries clears it off the line at the far post, using his trouser parcel as a cushion. So close. Potentially quite sore. Saka’s corners are so sweet.

56 min: Martinez shows interest in a long punt down the middle. He’d break clear, too, were it not for a perfectly judged pincer movement performed by Gabriel and Saliba. Elegant but no-nonsense as well. “I must take faux-umbrage with your disrespect of one of the great guitar soloists of all time,” pretend-complains Joe Pearson. “I mean, Wish You Were Here is nothing without David Gilmour’s guitar work and Dick Parry’s saxophone. Would you rather have Piers Morgan on co-comms?” I’ve just never really got Pink Floyd. So to answer your question … probably, yes. Shall we meet on some common ground in the middle? Dave Davies from the Kinks? The singer from Spandau Ballet? Melvyn Bragg?

54 min: Martinez again drops back to sling it like a quarterback, but this long pass down the right is never finding Frattesi.

52 min: Martinez slips a glorious pass down the right for Dumfries, who should find Taremi in the middle, but Timber positions himself cleverly to deflect the cross back to Sommer. Nearly a fine counter.

50 min: Darmian throws into the Arsenal box from the left. Saka heads clear and the whistle goes for a free kick in any case. This match has almost immediately slipped back into its pre-penalty nothingness.

48 min: … nothing, but it should have been something. Martinelli loops the corner long. Saliba doesn’t connect with a header, a couple of yards out, by the far stick. Goal kick. Big chance.

47 min: That was an early statement of intent by Arsenal, and they’re on the front foot again, Havertz and Martinelli’s presence down the left winning a corner off Dumfries. From which …

Inter get the ball rolling for the second half. Jesus comes on for Merino. Arsenal are immediately on the attack, Havertz slipping Martinelli into the Inter box down the left. Martinelli ripples the side netting. Sommer had it covered.

Half-time entertainment. Some real good Champions League-related reading for your pleasure.

There was absolutely nothing of note to report … until … and that’s changed the mood in San Siro. It was terribly flat beforehand.

Çalhanoğlu has to wait because VAR checks for an offside in the build-up to the penalty award. But there’s to be no escape for Arsenal. Çalhanoğlu gives Raya the eyes, and rolls the penalty to the left of centre with the keeper diving the other way. That’s 19 out of 19 penalties for Çalhanoğlu for Inter.

45 min +2: Çalhanoğlu swings it in from the left. Under pressure from Taremi, Merino kicks the ball up onto his own arm, which is poking well out to his side. The referee points to the spot. Saka is furious but the official’s not changing his mind.

45 min +1: Martinez is bundled over by Saliba. It’s a free kick but he wants the defender booked. The referee’s not interested. Already on a yellow, the striker wants to watch himself here.

45 min: Saka’s corner comes to nothing. Inter clear. Two additional minutes coming up. More, please!

44 min: Saka’s inswinger from the right is eyebrowed out for a corner on the left. Martinelli batters long and it’s now going to be another corner from the right.

43 min: Timber sends a strange curling shot-cum-cross in from the left. It’s looping towards the top right, but slowly enough to make for some easy catching. Sommer instead opts to punch, a weird decision that leads to an unnecessary corner.

41 min: Frattesi chips in a cross from the right. Taremi wins a header, eight yards out, but with White glued to his side, can only head harmlessly over the bar. Better from Inter, though their bar is almost subterranean.

39 min: Martinelli crosses deep from the left. With Saka lurking at the far stick, Inter are forced to concede another corner. Saka hoicks another vicious inswinger into the six-yard box, but the hosts have been dealing with these well so far, and do so again here.

37 min: [insert extended David Gilmour solo here]

35 min: To the credit of everyone in the San Siro, there’s still a lot of noise being made by both sets of fans. The players aren’t pulling their weight right now.