Milan

Who: Inter Milan vs Arsenal
What: Matchday 7 (of 8), league phase, UEFA Champions League
Where: San Siro in Milan, Italy
When: Tuesday, January 20, at 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

Arsenal, now the only unbeaten team in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), travel to northern Italy to take on the might of Inter Milan on Tuesday after a 40-day break in the tournament schedule.

Riding a perfect 18 points from six matches so far, the Gunners enter this Matchday 7 contest as the UCL frontrunners, but their English Premier League (EPL) form has been far from dominant in 2026, drawing with 17th-placed Nottingham Forest in their most recent domestic fixture on Saturday.

Inter, who co-led the league phase with Arsenal after four rounds, enter this penultimate group stage contest riding a two-match UCL losing streak, including a crushing 1-0 home defeat to Liverpool in their last match on December 9, dropping the Nerazzurri to sixth in the standings.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the high-stakes encounter, which might decide automatic qualification entry into the last 16.

Arsenal lead UCL and EPL, but it doesn’t feel like it

The Gunners lead next-best Bayern Munich in the Champions League by three points and front-run Manchester City in the Premier League by seven points, but they are playing far from their best in the new year.

Mikel Arteta’s side have sputtered out of the gate in 2026 with their last EPL victory an unconvincing 3-2 against Bournemouth on January 3, followed by two goalless draws: at home to Liverpool on January 8; and away to lowly Forest on January 17.

It is the first time since the 2012-13 season that Arsenal have recorded back-to-back 0-0 draws in the domestic league, with Arteta conceding that it was “difficult to generate momentum” during the most recent game.

“We came here to win the game, that’s clear, and we needed the opportunities that we had,” he said after the Nottingham setback.

“We haven’t managed that, so the word is disappointment.”

Arsenal remain well on course to end a 22-year wait to win the Premier League title, but they will need to quickly rediscover their offensive touch against a defensive juggernaut like Inter.

Inter hitting peak form

In contrast, Inter have recovered from a slow start to the Serie A season – where they lost two of their first three fixtures – to rapidly climb to the top of the ladder, three points clear of next-best AC Milan, and six points ahead of reigning champions Napoli.

The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in their last 11 domestic league fixtures. They were last defeated in Serie A way back on November 23, a 1-0 home loss in the derby match against Milan.

Will Arsenal qualify for the round of 16 if they beat Inter?

Yes. An Arsenal victory, or even a draw, in Tuesday’s penultimate League phase match against Inter would guarantee the North London outfit finish in the top eight clubs that automatically qualify for the last 16 of the tournament, thereby skipping the two-legged knockout playoff involving those placing ninth to 24th.

When did Inter and Liverpool last win the Champions League?

Arsenal have never won the UEFA Champions League title. They came closest in the 2005-06 season, losing the final to Barcelona 2-1.

Inter last won in 2010, overcoming Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final to complete the treble, a feat never achieved before by any team from either Italy or Germany.

What happened the last time Inter played Arsenal?

Inter defeated Arsenal 1-0 at the San Siro in a Matchday 4, league phase fixture on November 6, 2024.

Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu scored what turned out to be the match-winner from the penalty spot just before half time.

The two storied clubs have played three times in Champions League history, with Inter holding a 2-1 edge over the Gunners.

Inter Milan’s team news

In anticipation of Tuesday’s blockbuster clash against Arsenal, Inter coach Cristian Chivu rested stars Alessandro Bastoni and Marcus Thuram in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Udinese.

Thuram will re-enter the starting XI at the expense of Pio Esposito and will lead the line with regular strike partner Lautaro Martinez in Chivu’s well-tested 3-5-2 formation.

The Nerazzurri will likely be without key contributors Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries, both of whom are recovering from leg injuries and are close to a return to match action.

With a top-eight automatic qualification spot into the UCL round of 16 on the line, Chivu is expected to field his strongest possible side against Arsenal.

Inter Milan’s predicted starting lineup (3-5-2):

Sommer (goalkeeper); Acerbi, Akanji, Bastoni; Henrique, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Arsenal’s team news

In a desperate effort to find some goal scoring, Arteta is tipped to start Bukayo Saka – who was brought on as a second-half substitute in Saturday’s draw with Forest – alongside Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus.

Arsenal will continue to be without the injured trio of Max Dowman, Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori, all of whom are not expected back until the first week of February, at the earliest.

Arsenal’s predicted starting lineup (4-3-3):

Raya (goalkeeper), Lewis-Skelly, Saliba, Magalhaes; Timber, Zubimendi, Rice; Odegaard; Madueke, Jesus, Saka

Last five matches

Inter Milan: W-W-D-W-W (most recent result last, Serie A matches only)

Arsenal: W-W-W-D-D (most recent result last, Premier League matches only)

At AC Milan’s Milanello training base images of club legends adorn the walls. After all, it was Paolo Maldini who rang Tomori on Zoom before he joined and was instrumental in him moving.

“It’s mad. You walk in every day and you see pictures of players like Maldini, (Franco) Baresi, Kaka, Zlatan (Ibrahimovic) and (Alessandro) Nesta,” says Tomori.

“So you definitely feel the expectation knowing those players were in the same building.

“And it comes from the fans you meet in the city. You realise how much weight the shirt holds.

“I love that they’re so proud of the club and there’s an expectation for us to deliver and do what those before did.”

Tomori has fond memories of the summer after winning Serie A in 2022, and there is of course an eye on the summer ahead. Winning the Scudetto would surely enhance his chances of going to the World Cup with England.

“Of course, I want that for myself and I know that winning the league will help,” he says.

Tomori was born in Canada and played for their Under-19s, and revealed recently that he was never asked to consider Nigeria, where his parents are from.

He made his England debut in 2019 and won five caps under Gareth Southgate but, even though it has been two and a half years since his most recent international call-up, current England manager Thomas Tuchel remains in touch.

When Tomori left Chelsea for Milan on loan initially in 2021, Tuchel became Chelsea boss four days later.

“I spoke to him after the last international break in November. We’ve spoken a few times and the message is to keep doing what I’m doing,” Tomori says.

“The World Cup is six months away and there’s a lot of football to be played.

“I know he’s watching and keeping an eye because he called up (team-mate) Ruben Loftus-Cheek. That gives me the confidence I can make it.

“He came to Milan last season and I know he gets our data and sees our clips regularly too.

“The way he’s spoken about it is that it’s difficult because there’s so many players in that position, and I get it because you have players like John Stones, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn and Ezri Konsa.

“But the World Cup is still a dream and I’m working towards that.”

Achieve that dream and the likelihood is that his neighbour will be waiting in Dallas when England face Croatia in their first game at the World Cup.

Luka Modric, who joined AC Milan in the summer, lives in the same apartment complex as Tomori.

“I guess it’s not too shabby of a building then,” jokes Tomori.

Does he ever pick the brain of the former Ballon d’Or winner?

“Yes, but it’s more about listening when he speaks and seeing the way he carries himself and trains. You just know the levels and, because it’s Modric, whenever he speaks you just listen.”

All that listening will certainly come in handy for both Tomori and England if he does make the cut for the World Cup.