MILAN – Uncertainty surrounding Arsenal is growing. Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Internazionale is not a major blow to their UEFA Champions League hopes, but it does make a place in the top eight and the automatic qualification that comes with it more doubtful.

It continues a difficult week in which uncertainty has unexpectedly arisen off the field with the sudden departure of sporting director Edu Gaspar and questions grow over their fortitude in the race for the Premier League title after finishing seven points behind leaders Liverpool have fallen back. All three situations can be salvaged and resolved, but the Gunners have been a picture of stability and sustained progress for more than two years. There is a risk of feeling different.

The breaks are not going in the right direction at the moment. Injuries have disrupted their rhythm and manager Mikel Arteta was visibly frustrated with the performance here at the San Siro after Mikel Merino was denied a penalty at one end but conceded a goal at the other. In the 28th minute, Merino appeared to be taken out by goalkeeper Yann Sommer, but VAR must have noticed the slightest touch of the ball as a corner was awarded.

Just before half-time, Merino took a free kick in the penalty area, in one of those unfortunate incidents in which the ball hit his hand in a position that is considered unnatural according to the interpretation of the rules of this competition, but at the same time seems difficult to see what he otherwise could have done. Arteta couldn't hide his frustration.

“I don’t understand (the handball) decision,” he said. “There is no danger at all. You can't react because the ball is very close. But okay, they decide it’s a penalty.”

“But if that is a penalty, then the one against Mikel Merino where he hits him on the head has to be a 1,000% penalty. These are the margins in this game and it’s very difficult to accept.”

“We were told at the start of the season that it wasn’t a penalty. That was clear. Today was a different story.”

Hakan Çalhanoglu converted his penalty and Inter had a lead to defend. And they defended, as Inter had a shot in the second half as Arsenal dominated possession and looked for an equaliser.

They were more dangerous than in last weekend's defeat to Newcastle United but set pieces were their main weapon until a late attack took the total number of crosses into the box to 46 but no-one was in shape to capitalize on them. It all felt a little predictable.

“The concern is the result and the fact that we didn't do what we needed to do in both boxes,” Arteta said. “And then we didn’t do it, someone else didn’t do it. I definitely want to see my team like that.”

“All the big games we’ve played in Europe, this is by far the best we’ve played in recent years.”

This last statement somewhat shakes the credibility of a manager defending his players, but is another sign that Arteta is convinced that there is nothing fundamentally wrong, but rather another case of luck and good margins working against them went.

However, there are currently too many players struggling below their best. This was another evening where Leandro Trossard took a step back, Gabriel Martinelli looked jaded and Kai Havertz looked more like the player lost at Chelsea than the one Arsenal found. The oft-repeated criticism that Arsenal should have done more to strengthen their attacking options in the summer transfer window will become louder after this.

A lot depends on Martin Ødegaard getting his football back up to speed. Ødegaard made his long-awaited return in added time from an ankle injury that had kept him out of the Gunners since August 31, but by then it was too late to make any real difference as Inter had dug a hole deep in their own penalty area.

The Arsenal captain is a great player capable of putting together a stuttering team, but doing so straight after almost two months out is a tall order. He may have only been substituted against Inter because Havertz had to leave the field after a clash of heads that left him needing stitches. And so Arsenal ended up beaten, bloodied and bowed.

Arteta insisted they would turn things around soon. “If we play the way we played, we have a good chance of winning against Chelsea,” he said.

“I told them I was proud of them. I haven't seen them play in Europe like they do today. And we are very disappointed because we certainly didn’t achieve what we wanted.”

There are now three defeats in six games, including two in a row for the Gunners. They need a result at Stamford Bridge if this feeling of uncertainty is not to develop into something more ominous.