Manager Mikel Arteta was furious at two refereeing decisions after Arsenal suffered a 1-0 defeat to Internazionale in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

The Gunners were denied a penalty as Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer connected with the head of Mikel Merino, only for Merino to concede a spot kick for handball shortly afterward.

"I don't understand [the handball decision]," Arteta said. "There is no danger at all. You cannot react because the ball is very close. But OK. They decide that is a penalty.

"But if that is a penalty then the one on Merino where he [Sommer] punches him in the head has to be a penalty 1,000%. These are the margins in this game and it's very difficult to accept."

But was Arteta's anger misplaced, or should the VAR have stepped in?

Inter Milan 1-0 Arsenal

Possible penalty: Challenge by Sommer on Merino

What happened: The game was in the 28th minute when Gabriel Martinelli swung a cross into the box from the left flank. Mikel Merino got to the ball first but headed over, with goalkeeper Yann Sommer then making contact with the Arsenal player's head in attempt to punch clear. Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs signalled for a goal kick and a possible penalty was checked by the VAR, Christian Dingert.

VAR decision: No penalty.

VAR review: Goalkeepers have a right to rush out and challenge for the ball with their fists, yet at the same time they must be aware of the players who are around them.

It's hard to be sure, but Sommer might have got a slight touch on the ball before it came off Merino's head. Even so, that would not remove the possibility of a penalty being awarded if the challenge was deemed to be reckless or dangerous.

In UEFA competitions, where there is a much lower threshold for fouls, we'd expect to see a spot kick awarded in a situation like this. So you can absolutely understand Arteta's frustration.

Sommer makes full contact with Merino's head, clearing pushing it back, and the Arsenal player then went to ground holding his head.

The VAR has decided that this is normal football contact; a goalkeeper collision as part of a genuine attempt to play the ball and there wasn't enough in it to be deemed a reckless act.

At Euro 2020, France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris conceded a penalty when he came out to punch and caught Portugal midfielder Danilo in the head.

At the 2022 World Cup, Argentina were awarded a penalty against Poland when goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny caught Lionel Messi with an outstretched arm. Szczesny came out to claim a cross in the 36th minute, Messi got to his head to the ball first, but Szczesny then collided with the striker. The VAR, Paulus Van Boekel of Netherlands, advised a penalty review. But the contact was so slight that the decision seemed harsh.

Looking at league play last season, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez came out for a cross and clattered into Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus. The referee didn't give the spot kick on the field, and the Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel said the only thing which saved that from being a VAR mistake was an offside player in the buildup.

Possible penalty overturn: Handball by Merino

What happened: Inter Milan were awarded a penalty in first-half stoppage time when Hakan Çalhanoglu played a ball into the area, and when Mehdi Taremi tried to help it on it hit Merino's hand. Referee Kovacs pointed to the penalty spot.

VAR decision: Penalty stands, scored by Çalhanoglu.

VAR review: Fans of English football have become insulated from handball penalties this season. So far in the Premier League only one spot kick has been awarded across 100 matches -- by the VAR against Aston Villa's Matty Cash at Fulham.

Referees are putting all the focus on a player having the right to actually have arms, deeming handball should only be penalised if a player's arm is completely outside the body and creating a clear barrier. Villa's Cash had his arm fully extended, but even with there was doubt over proximity.

The Premier League is certainly the outlier, with the Champions League having the highest frequency of handball penalties of any competition, though marginally ahead of Ligue 1.

Merino was stood right next to Taremi but his arm was in a raised position and it blocked the path of the ball, so under UEFA's definition that is expected to be penalised.

The main frustration is that many competitions now have their own interpretation of the wording, either lenient like the Premier League to really strict like the UCL and France. It will be hard for Arsenal fans to accept as the league has moved back to the interpretation used before the 2018 law change (which caused such a huge upsurge in spot kicks.) Yet it's effectively a two-tier law, as Arsenal discovered on Wednesday.

Possible red card: Arteta for interfering with play

What happened: The game was in the 63rd minute when the ball ran along the touchline and, as Matteo Darmian moved toward it, Arteta picked it up before it went out of play. Referee Kovacs showed the yellow card, but should it have been red?

VAR decision: No red card.

VAR review: By the letter of the law this should be a red card, as Law 12 states: "Sending-off offences include (but are not limited to) entering the field of play to interfere with play."

We've seen two such red cards this year in British football, for West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberán and Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes.

The referee chose to use his discretion and only show Arteta a yellow card, as the ball looked to be running out of play, but by rights this should have been a red.

However, the VAR is not charged with intervening in such matters where the referee has obviously seen the incident but chosen not to show a red card.

Club Brugge 1-0 Aston Villa

Possible penalty overturn / red card: Mings handball

What happened: Club Brugge were awarded a penalty in bizarre circumstances in the 50th minute. Aston Villa had a goal kick, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez played it to defender Tyrone Mings ... who thought play hadn't started yet and picked up the ball. Referee Tobia Stieler pointed to the penalty spot, but took no disciplinary action against Mings.

VAR decision: No red card. Penalty stands, scored by Hans Vanaken.

VAR review: A crazy situation -- especially when you consider we saw a very similar situation in April which didn't result in a penalty.

In the earlier example, Arsenal were playing Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal. Goalkeeper David Raya had the ball in the centre, he then passed to Gabriel, who picked the ball up and placed it down again before passing it back to Raya. Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg chose to use his discretion (the spirit of the law, as noted in Law 5, gives a referee some leeway in certain circumstances to manage the game) and allowed the kick to be taken again, rather than giving a penalty.

That wasn't the case for Villa, with Stieler choosing to give the spot kick -- and many would argue that Nyberg was wrong in not doing so too.

There is one key difference: In the Arsenal game there was no pressure being put on the ball by a Bayern player, so you could argue this was an inconsequential mistake and the referee was fair to allow the retake. In the Villa game, Ferran Jutglà ran into the area to close down Mings at the moment Martínez played the ball.

Mings was already on a yellow card and this was a deliberate handball, so why wasn't he shown a red card, or at least a second yellow? That's the real question for the VAR because a penalty is undoubtedly correct in law.

Deliberate handball isn't in itself an offence that requires disciplinary action, just like when a goalkeeper handballs outside the box. It's all about the impact on the opposition.

Stieler could have chosen to book Mings if he felt Jutglà was being prevented from playing the ball, but the VAR cannot rule on yellows.

It then comes down to a red card, and whether the VAR felt the Mings handball was an offence of denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO). Jutglà was moving in on the ball but it was not running with pace, so he would definitely get to it if Mings hadn't handled. But it's not a classic case of DOGSO where an attacker is going past a defender making a foul, Mings would still be there to make a challenge. So the only real argument is for a yellow for possibly stopping a promising attacker, which the VAR cannot give.

Even though Jutglà was running in to close down, Mings still had plenty of time so his decision to pick up the ball is even more perplexing. He must not have thought Martínez had put the ball in player. But he could easily have been given a second yellow by the referee.

Whatever you think about the merits of the two individual incidents, it's difficult for fans to make sense that the two can have opposing outcomes -- one a retake and the other a penalty.

Tsitsipas is among the leading players who have spoken out recently about what they see as increasingly unreasonable demands in scheduling.

Poland's five-time major champion Iga Swiatek said there are "too many tournaments in the season", while France's Caroline Garcia spoke about the mental impact of the "constant grind of tennis" after ending her season early.

Britain's Jack Draper said he feels the calendar will make it hard for the next generation to achieve "longevity".

The discussion has been reopened following the conclusion of the ATP event in Paris, which is one of the remaining week-long Masters.

"If the goal was to ease the calendar, extending every 1,000 to two weeks is a backwards move," Tsitsipas said.

"Sometimes it feels like theyre fixing what wasnt broken."

ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi has said the expansion of the 1,000 events has increased financial opportunities for more players and enhanced recovery time.

"We recognise the concerns raised by some top players that longer events can introduce an element of fatigue or burnout related to being away from home for extended periods," he said in a statement to BBC Sport last month.

"However, players ultimately have the autonomy to craft their own schedules based on their priorities - a freedom that comes with being independent contractors, unlike many other sports where players are bound by fixed schedules."

Antoine Dupont has returned "better than ever" to XVs after winning Olympic sevens gold in the summer, says France flanker Francois Cros.

Scrum-half Dupont, 27, has been named captain for France's opening Autumn Nations Series game against Japan on Saturday, in his first game in international XVs since his side's devastating home Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat by South Africa last October.

Having spent 2024 focusing on sevens, the former World Player of the Year set up a try and scored two himself as France beat Fiji 28-7 to win their first gold of the Paris Olympics in July.

"It was something incredible for him and French rugby," Cros said.

"Since he's come back, after having a good break, he's better than what he was before.

"So it's obviously a pleasure to have him back."

After an extended break, Dupont returned last month and scored a 13-minute hat-trick off the bench for Toulouse in a 48-14 victory over Clermont.

Despite missing this year's Six Nations and France's summer tour of Argentina to focus on learning the shortened format, he continued playing for his club side Toulouse when possible, starring as his side won the Investec Champions Cup in May.

He will be partnered by Toulouse team-mate Thomas Ramos, who starts at fly-half in preference to regular 10 Matthieu Jalibert, with Dupont taking back the captaincy from number eight Gregory Alldritt for the match against Eddie Jones' side.

"The question didn't even need to be asked, it's natural to us for him to be captain," Cros said.

"Since he's come back, his standards have been the same if not better. There was no doubt about that subject."

Part of Thompson's remit was trying to keep young Wallaby prospects in the XV-player game.

Ultimately, in Suaalii's case, it proved impossible.

Suaalii was on the books of South Sydney Rabbitohs before switching to the Roosters, where he made the NRL's team of the year in 2022, while still a teenager.

If he was an instant hit on arrival, Suaalii took some dents on departure.

As well as picking up a four-game ban for a high hit in the State of Origin showpiece, Suaalii was criticised by some for deserting league. Peter V'landys, Australian Rugby League Commission boss, accused him of chasing easy money and predicted a swift return to the 13-man code.

However, Anderson is sure that Suaalii, stronger and faster for his time in league, can find his feet quickly in union.

"Oh, 100% yeah, he'll definitely make the transition and he'll be a world class player," Anderson said.

"He's a very special talent and he is still very young.

If you look at the way rugby league play on the edge, most rugby union teams are pretty similar now.

"I'm not hands on anymore so I don't know how [Wallabies coach] Joe Schmidt's got his attack, but you can assume he's going to get plenty of football whatever position he plays."

Suaalii is going to get plenty of the spotlight too.

No, the Winnipeg Jets haven't already won the Stanley Cup, although one can be excused for feeling that way.

The Jets started the season 12-1-0, becoming the sixth team in NHL history to win 12 of their first 13 games of a season. They've outscored everyone in front of the player whom many consider the best goaltender in the world in Connor Hellebuyck. Things are certainly trending in their direction.

Some early-season trends in the NHL stick. Others are a distant memory by the end of the season: Please recall the Edmonton Oilers' horrific first month that preceded a resurgent run to the final game of the season in the Stanley Cup Final.

Injuries and slumps happen. Fans get their hopes up, only to be let down.

Here are trends for all 32 teams from the 2024-25 season thus far that we're testing with our patented (OK, patent-pending) "Trend-o-meter" to see how valid they are -- from certain to stick (10) to probably just a blip (1).

Jump to a team:
ANA | BOS | BUF | CGY
CAR | CHI | COL | CBJ
DAL | DET | EDM | FLA
LA | MIN | MTL | NSH
NJ | NYI | NYR | OTT
PHI | PIT | SJ | SEA
STL | TB | TOR | UT
VAN | VGK | WSH | WPG

Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins

Jim Montgomery will keep his job (by any means necessary)

Despite preseason platitudes from his bosses, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery does not have a contract with Boston beyond this season. That led to some "hot seat" speculation when the Bruins stumbled out of the gate, although they were 6-6-1 by the end of October.

It's a pressure-packed situation in Boston, as the optics have underscored. Bruins fans have seen Montgomery tear into captain Brad Marchand on the bench after a turnover and bench leading scorer David Pastrnak in the third period of a recent game. Boston players, including Marchand himself, treated the situations like nothing out of the ordinary. But it certainly feels as if Montgomery is desperately trying to get the attention of his team early.

And why not? He's not the reason that Jeremy Swayman is playing as if he didn't have a training camp or that management felt Joonas Korpisalo could replace Linus Ullmark. He's the not the reason that a good complementary player like Elias Lindholm was imported to be a No. 1 center or that they didn't sufficiently replace Jake DeBrusk's offense. It's his job on the line, though. Do as you will, Monty.

Trend-o-meter rating: 10

Fans from Paris Saint-Germain's Auteuil Kop unveiled a giant "Free Palestine" banner before the kickoff of their Champions League game against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday, eight days before France take on Israel in Paris in a Nations League game.

"War on the pitch, but peace in the world," a message underneath said.

During the match, they unrolled another message that read: "Does a child's life in Gaza mean less than another?"

PSG said they had not been aware "of any plans to display such a message."

"Paris St Germain recalls that the Parc des Princes is -- and must remain -- a place of communion around a common passion for soccer and firmly opposes any message of a political nature in its stadium," the club added in a statement.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau called the unveiling of the banner "unacceptable" and when asked if he would seek sanctions against PSG, Retailleau told Sud Radio: "I am not ruling out anything. I will demand explanations from PSG."

Last year, Celtic were fined 17,500 ($18,839) because of fans waving Palestinian flags during a Champions League game.

France take on Israel at the Stade de France next Thursday, with fans allowed in the 80,000-capacity stadium.

Questions have been raised on security surrounding the event in a country that has the largest Jewish community in Europe -- and the third in the world, way behind the United States and Israel -- as well as the biggest number of Muslims in Europe.

Last month, Paris police officials said the game would "of course be open to the public."

Italy played Israel in Udine amid tight security, but Belgium played their home game in Debrecen, Hungary, after their federation said that "In Belgium, no local administration deemed it possible to organise the Red Devils' home match against Israel."