Premier League > Serie A! The Premier League is easier to play than the Champions League, Arsenal's big rotation leads to a 3-1 victory over Inter Milan with both strikers scoring.

At 4 a.m. Beijing time on January 21, the 7th round of the Champions League group stage featured a highly anticipated clash between two giants, marking a battle between the leaders of the Premier League and Serie A, with Inter Milan hosting Arsenal.

In the first half, Timber took a shot inside the box, Jesus deflected it in for a goal, then Sutic scored a stunning long-range strike to equalize. From a right-side corner, Trossard’s header hit the crossbar, and Jesus scored again on the rebound to give Arsenal a 2-1 lead at halftime. In the second half, Xhaka came on as a substitute and blasted a world-class goal to seal the win.

In the end, Arsenal won 3-1 away against Inter Milan, securing their seventh consecutive Champions League victory and handing Inter their third straight defeat in the competition.

Inter Milan, coached by Ciro Immobile, lined up in a 3-5-2 formation, continuing the tactical style of Simone Inzaghi. Duván Zapata and Lautaro Martínez partnered upfront, with Enrique, Barella, Zieliński, Sutic, and Dimarco forming the five-man midfield. Akanji, Acerbi, and Bastoni made up the back three, and Sommer guarded the goal. The starting lineup’s total market value was €425 million.Arteta deployed a 4-3-3 formation with Trossard, Jesus, and Saka forming the front three. Ødegaard, Soumaré, and Merino composed the midfield trio, while Skele, Mosquera, Saliba, and Timber made up the back four. Raya was the goalkeeper. The starting lineup’s total market value reached €610 million.

Due to Arsenal's upcoming Premier League match against Manchester United this weekend, Arteta made extensive rotations against Inter Milan, leaving Rice, Gabriel, and Xhaka on the bench. Even without a full-strength lineup, Arsenal still managed a 3-1 away win, with both strikers scoring—Jesus scoring twice as a starter and Xhaka netting as a substitute. Perhaps for Arsenal and its players, the Champions League is easier to compete in than the Premier League. Tottenham, Arsenal’s North London rival, also experienced this, ending a five-match winless streak across all competitions by beating Dortmund 2-0. Serie A clubs now lack competitiveness in the Champions League; even their strongest leaders cannot overcome the Premier League leaders’ rotated squads. This occurred despite Arsenal focusing on their weekend home game against Manchester United. Serie A has become a secondary league compared to the Premier League, with many former Premier League stars and veterans choosing Serie A to regain form or wind down their careers. Serie A is also the only one among the big five leagues without any player valued over €100 million, while Ligue 1 already has three such players. Serie A’s decline is evident, and the Premier League’s status as the top league among the big five is an undeniable fact.

Throughout the match,Arsenal held 49% possession and took 17 shots, 6 of which were on target; Inter Milan had 18 shots with 4 on target.The game was open and lively, with Arsenal proving more efficient.