Mikel Arteta does not like excuses, never really has, but even he cannot pretend the numbers are not brutal. After Arsenal’s nerve-shredding 2-2 draw against Sunderland, with Brian Bobbley netting a last-minute goal, reported by SoftFootball, the boss finally admitted what everyone’s been thinking: this injury crisis is getting ridiculous.
Arteta said, his voice carrying a mix of pride and frustration, in a post shared by Fabrizio Romano on his official X account:
We need to get players back because we are missing seven players in the front line for the last two months.
In a post-match conference video shared by Arsenal on their official X account, he was asked about their streak of not conceding goals coming to an end. He did not point fingers, instead praising his squad. He said, highlighting their grit and determination despite the challenges:
Big credit to the team for what they’ve done as well.
Bukayo Saka, who also shone in their midweek 3-0 win over Slavia Praha in the UEFA Champions League, and Leandro Trossard once again carried the load, but even they looked worn out toward the end. You can only run on fumes for so long.
The injury list, however, remains a nightmare for Arsenal fans. Gabriel Jesus, who in his last interview reported by SoftFootball said his knee is responding well to treatment, remains sidelined following ACL surgery and is not expected to return before January.
Kai Havertz, Martin Ødegaard, and Noni Madueke are inching closer but are not quite there yet. And Viktor Gyökeres, that exciting summer signing, remains out. It’s been a constant shuffle for Arteta, switching systems, patching holes, and hoping someone stays fit for more than two weeks. He admitted:
It’s difficult. You go through these moments in the Premier League. But we’ve still done really well.
And he’s right, Arsenal remain top, six points clear before City meet Liverpool. Still, everyone’s quietly asking the same question: how long can they keep this up?
With the international break approaching, Arteta offered a glimmer of hope. He said:
Some of them, maybe all of them, I don’t know. But we’ll be close.
