Inter Milan 1-3 Arsenal: Gunners seal top-two finish with seventh straight Champions League win | OneFootball

Inter Milan 1-3 Arsenal: Gunners seal top-two finish with seventh straight Champions League win | OneFootball

In partnership with

Yahoo sports
Icon: Evening Standard

Evening Standard

·20 January 2026

Inter Milan 1-3 Arsenal: Gunners seal top-two finish with seventh straight Champions League win

Article image:Inter Milan 1-3 Arsenal: Gunners seal top-two finish with seventh straight Champions League win

Gunners into round of 16 with a game to spare

Gabriel Jesus struck a first-half brace to fire an unstoppable Arsenal to an impressive 3-1 victory against Inter Milan and confirm their place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Jesus opened the scoring at San Siro after ten minutes before Petar Sucic blasted the hosts level eight minutes later.


OneFootball Videos


Arsenal, who have already seen off Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and now last year's beaten finalists and remain the only team in the competition to have won all of their group fixtures, are guaranteed to finish in the top two.

It means Mikel Arteta's side will be assured of hosting the second legs in their knockout matches.

Arsenal have one final group game - a home contest against Kazakhstan's Kairat a week on Wednesday - where a point will be enough to confirm them as winners of the 36-team group.

Jesus, among seven changes by Arteta ahead of his side's pivotal Premier League clash against Manchester United, was making his first start in Europe in 405 days in place of Gyokeres.

And the Brazilian's eye-catching performance could see Gyokeres, despite his late goal, warm the bench again for the visit of Michael Carrick's side on Sunday.

Jesus struck his first after 10 minutes after popping Eberechi Eze's pass to Mikel Merino, who in turn found Myles Lewis-Skelly.

His pass across the box was scuffed goalwards by Jurrien Timber and Jesus was on hand to convert the full-back's strike with an outstretched right foot.

The home side took just eight minutes to respond. Cristhian Mosquera, playing for the first time since December 3 following an ankle injury, pulled off a fine sliding tackle to thwart Marcus Thuram before Lewis-Skelly did enough to divert Nicolo Barella's shot clear - but Sucic's crisp side-footed strike from the edge of the area proved impossible for a diving David Raya to keep out.

A chance for Eze followed but he dragged his effort wide. Then Mosquera did well to prevent Sucic from getting a shot away when he was left outnumbered on a three-against-one breakaway, and Thuram could only blaze over.

Just four minutes later, Jesus had his second. Saka's inswinger found Leandro Trossard at the back post and his header back towards goal was headed in by Jesus from underneath the Inter bar - Arsenal's 19th goal from a corner so far this season.

Saka and Luis Henrique fired wide at either end before a strong left hand from Raya denied Federico Dimarco.

After the break, the influential Eze might have made it three only to fire his shot straight at Yann Sommer. Trossard's volley from Saka's cross then drifted just wide.

Jesus might have turned provider on the hour mark but Alessandro Bastoni's lunging tackle prevented Saka from scoring. Saka then stung Sommer's hands with 13 minutes left.

There were moments for Inter at the other end, too, but Raya's goal rarely came under significant threat.

And Gyokeres put the finishing touches on yet another statement victory for Arsenal when he swept home from the edge of the box in the closing stages to allow the boisterous travelling support, who greeted every Arsenal pass with 'oles' prior to the final whistle, to dream of a first Champions League title.

View publisher imprint