Arteta’s Arsenal secured a crucial victory in the north London derby with a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, thanks to Gabriel Magalhaes’ goal in the 68th minute. The victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was a moment of triumph for the Gunners, but it was dampened by concerns over Bukayo Saka’s injury.
Saka appeared to have injured his thigh while chasing a pass from Raheem Sterling, requiring immediate treatment before being substituted. His injury adds to Arsenal’s growing concerns, as captain Martin Odegaard is already sidelined with a hamstring injury picked up during international duty with Norway.
After the match, Arteta expressed uncertainty about Saka’s condition, acknowledging that the full extent of the injury was still unclear.
In his post-match comments, Arteta said, “I don’t know [the extent of the injury]. I made two changes with the front players, and suddenly he’s down. I looked at the bench and had to adapt based on the options we had.” He further added, “I don’t know exactly what it is, but he couldn’t continue.” Saka will now undergo further assessment from Arsenal’s medical team to determine the seriousness of the injury.
Should Saka’s injury prove severe, it may overshadow an otherwise impressive performance by Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Gunners remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season, with their only dropped points coming in a 1-1 draw against Brighton last month. During that game, Declan Rice was controversially sent off after receiving a second yellow card for delaying a restart, which led to his suspension for the derby against Spurs.
The Premier League was unable to overturn Rice’s red card, as it was based on two yellow cards. However, the league’s Key Match Incidents panel unanimously agreed that referee Kavanagh’s decision to issue the second yellow card was the correct call.
Despite these setbacks, Arsenal continue to display resilience, maintaining their unbeaten run, though injuries to key players like Odegaard and potentially Saka could pose significant challenges as they navigate the season ahead.
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