MIKEL ARTETA'S WORRY: DECLAN RICE INJURY THREATENS ARSENAL'S TITLE LEAD
Arsenal secures a vital 2-0 win to go five points clear, but the victory is overshadowed by a calf injury to star midfielder Declan Rice. Arteta is concerned.
After Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Brentford on Wednesday, Mikel Arteta is worried that a growing list of injuries could hurt their chances of winning the Premier League. Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera both had to leave the game early.
Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka scored at the Emirates Stadium, putting Arsenal five points ahead of Manchester City, who are in second place.
The Gunners now have an 18-game unbeaten streak and have won their last eight home games.
However, Arteta already has Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba out with injuries. To make matters worse, Mosquera had to be taken off the field right before halftime due to an injury.
Even more concerning, Declan Rice seemed to hurt his calf and was replaced with 10 minutes left in the game.
It's never good when this happens. Declan had to come off, and we're not sure what's wrong yet. "We'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out," Arteta said. He also mentioned that Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard are currently injured.
Declan is able to walk, but he's unable to play. He's been playing a lot, and now we had a game on Wednesday night and have to play again on Saturday morning.
Arsenal has had a tough week, with wins against Tottenham and Bayern Munich and a draw against Chelsea. Because of the packed schedule, Arteta decided to rest Saka, Jurrien Timber, and Eberechi Eze for the Brentford game.
However, all three players had to come off the bench eventually. Arteta is frustrated with the team's injury problems and is questioning the Premier League schedule, especially with an early Saturday game coming up against Aston Villa, who are playing well.
Rest is a good way to put it, considering the circumstances. We had to make some changes, he said.
We had a very tough week in every way. We were asked to play again just three days later, which meant we had less time to recover than our opponents.
It's okay for us to play a lot, but it would be great if they could give us a little more time to rest so that the players' health is better taken care of.
WHAT IS THE "AURA" MIKEL ARTETA SEES IN BUKAYO SAKA’S RECENT PERFORMANCES?
"He shifts momentum." Read Mikel Arteta’s full analysis of Bukayo Saka’s importance ahead of the crucial West Ham showdown.
Mikel Arteta sees something special in Bukayo Saka’s presence on the pitch, an “aura” that he believes could drive Arsenal toward a Premier League title, just three games away from ending a 22-year wait.
During Saka’s recent absence with an Achilles injury, Arsenal managed only a single win in five matches. His return, however, seemed to breathe new life into the squad. Saka set up Viktor Gyokeres for the opener before scoring himself in a solid 3-0 victory over Fulham last weekend.
More crucially, Saka netted the decisive goal that helped Arsenal secure a 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid, booking their first Champions League final appearance since 2006.
Since making his debut for the Gunners seven years ago, the England international now carries the hopes of pushing Arsenal for vital points, starting with a key clash against relegation-threatened West Ham at the London Stadium, followed by matches against Burnley at home and Crystal Palace away on the season’s final day.
When asked about Saka’s importance, Arteta highlighted the growing role he plays not just within the team but also in how opponents see him. There’s a clear presence, a certain quality that sets him apart. According to Arteta, Saka can shift a game’s momentum at any time, and instilling that kind of respect or even fear in the opposition is invaluable.
Arteta also touched on managing Saka’s comeback after injury, emphasising the idea of channelling fresh energy and motivation into his performance rather than rushing him back too soon. He described it as a privilege to have a player like Saka, someone who embodies core values and principles, both on and off the pitch. Beyond the football, there’s a human connection that makes working with him rewarding. What Saka showed, especially in the recent Champions League semifinal, was nothing short of remarkable.
Alongside Saka, Declan Rice has also become a pivotal figure since his £100 million move from West Ham last year. Now 27, Rice will make his 59th appearance of the season when Arsenal faces his former club on Sunday. His impact has been significant, earning him runner-up in the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award behind Bruno Fernandes.
Arteta praised Rice as a key leader and a major force for the team, underlining the powerful role he plays as Arsenal chase success this season.
WHY DID JURRIEN TIMBER’S "SIMPLE" INJURY TURN INTO A SEASON-ENDING MEDICAL MYSTERY?
After reaching the Champions League final, Arsenal face a fitness race for key stars ahead of their clash with West Ham.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that both Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber are running out of time to get fit before the season ends – a tough setback for Arsenal right now.
Both have been out for weeks, dealing with foot and ankle injuries. The hope was always that they’d be back for the final stretch, giving Arsenal a boost when it matters most. This week, Merino at least made it back onto the training pitch, but Arteta has confirmed neither he nor Timber will be involved in Sunday’s big match against West Ham.
Arteta said he has no new injury problems elsewhere, but for Merino or Timber to play before the end of the season, their recoveries would have to be almost perfect. Timber’s situation in particular has turned out to be more complicated than they first thought.
“That’s probably been the hardest part for everyone. For me, for the player,” Arteta said. “We really didn’t think it would take this long, and he’s still not ready.”
Meanwhile, things are going well for Arsenal on the pitch. They’ve pulled five points clear at the top of the Premier League, and they just beat Atletico Madrid, booking a spot in their first Champions League final in two decades.
There’s still a twist, though. Manchester City play Brentford first this weekend, and they still have a game in hand. Even so, if Arsenal win their last three matches, the title is theirs.
Next up is West Ham, who are fighting to avoid relegation and could easily trip Arsenal up. Arteta knows his team can’t afford any slip-ups. “After the Atletico win, I was completely caught up in the emotion. You could feel what it meant to everyone fans and the staff. But straight after, my focus went to West Ham,” he said.
“We talked as a team about how we’ve earned the chance to be in the final, and we have time to get ready, but right now, all our focus and all the details need to go into West Ham.”
