'We were harshly done by' - but how much have Arsenal missed Odegaard?

Arsenal put up a valiant fight in Milan on Wednesday but ultimately it was another disappointing result in what is proving a tough spell for the Gunners.

Three games without a win in the Premier League has seen their title challenge falter as they now sit seven points behind leaders Liverpool.

And now, their strong form in Europe has also taken a hit as they suffered their first loss in this season's Champions League to Inter at the San Siro.

They will understandably feel aggreived they came away with nothing to show for a battling second-half display, with a controversial penalty on the stroke of half-time proving decisive.

Arsenal's Mikel Merino was punished for handball, despite there being little he could do to get out of the way of a flick-on from a corner.

But it wasn't the only decision that frustrated Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, who also felt Merino had been punched by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer when he tried to claim a cross.

"We were very harshly done by in the sense that is obvious - both penalties," Arteta told TNT Sports.

"If you are going to give a penalty, the other one has to be because he punches him in the head.

"There is no deflection, nothing you can do in the box, so can he get away from it? If he is going to give that the other has to be 100% a penalty."

While Arsenal fans will feel aggreived by the decision to award the decisive penalty, the loss extends a concerning run of statistics:

But despite the defeat, there were still some positive signs that the Gunners will soon come out of this frustrating run of form.

They were by far the better side in the second half at the San Siro with Kai Havertz twice denied - first by a fantastic save from Sommer and second by a superb block in front of goal.

There was also the return of Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal captain has been out with an ankle injury since the end of August but came on for the final few minutes of stoppage time.

While his introduction was too late to influence the outcome of the match, it bodes well for the midfielder being more involved in Sunday's crucial Premier League game with Chelsea.

Odegaard's influence for Arsenal is clear, with the below table highlighting just how much more likely the Gunners are to win in the Premier League with him in their side compared to without him.

Without Odegaard Arsenal clearly miss a spark of creativity. Against Inter they fired 46 crosses into the box but none of them proved effective.

They also attempted 20 shots in the match, their most without scoring in a single Champions League fixture since November 2006 against CSKA Moscow (23).

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said: "It's hugely frustrating - 46 crosses is the second most in the Champions League this season but the creativity, the imagination was not there.

"Odegaard has that little bit of imagination. Too often it was slung into the box without any idea.

"The quality Odegaard brings, the calmness the assuredness, the final pass. Those qualities are what set you apart and make you a great team."