Arteta Sounds Alarm: Arsenal's Championship Dreams Could Crumble Despite Wigan Victory

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confessed his concerns that injury setbacks could potentially sabotage his team's quest for Premier League success once more.

Health issues significantly contributed to Arsenal's end-of-season downturns in both 2022–23 and 2023–24, and the injury curse has struck again this campaign as Martin Ødegaard has joined Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz in the treatment room, leaving Arteta with restricted rotation choices.

"Previously it affected the forwards, then the backline, now it's hitting the midfield..." Arteta pondered as he expressed worry about his team's trajectory following their commanding 4–0 triumph.

"We're managing the situation currently, but we require some players to recover and return to fitness to provide us not just with numbers, but varied tactical choices depending on our upcoming opponents, so the sooner the better."

Arsenal's Current Injury Woes

Arsenal's Current Injury Woes

Although having merely five players unavailable might not appear to be a major concern for Arsenal, Arteta's primary challenge lies in the fact that most of his missing personnel are midfield options.

Merino and Ødegaard are established first-team players, with Havertz and Dowman serving as capable alternatives. Their collective absence, combined with the need to rest Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi, forced Arteta to deploy an exceptionally offensive midfield setup against thankfully weaker opposition during the weekend.

Eberechi Eze partnered Christian Nørgaard at the foundation of a midfield trio that was led by winger Bukayo Saka, who was repositioned centrally as a temporary solution.

Though Rice and Zubimendi will return to the starting eleven in midweek and are virtual guarantees to feature when available, the backup options behind this pair clearly present a challenge. Eze is too forward-thinking to be deployed in a comparable role at elite level, while Saka's optimal position remains on the flank.

Promising youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly, naturally a central midfielder, was anticipated to feature in his preferred position on Sunday before Calafiori's pre-match withdrawal meant the academy product had to slot in at left-back once again.

Can Arsenal Cope in Quadruple Race?

Can Arsenal Cope in Quadruple Race?

Provided no additional complications arise, this represents an injury situation that Arsenal should be capable of handling. Regrettably, circumstances are seldom so accommodating.

As Arsenal remain active across four competitions, squad rotation and maintaining player fitness remains paramount for Arteta. The current roster possesses sufficient depth to manage, but the Gunners understand they are, yet again, just one injury away from potential catastrophe.

Reaching the March international window will be Arteta's immediate objective. Havertz and Dowman should return by then, while there's optimism that Ødegaard's present problem isn't severe enough to extend into April.

During the upcoming five weeks, Arsenal must handle potentially nine matches spanning all four tournaments—a daunting challenge when one section of the squad is already battling fitness issues.

Among the approaching fixtures are the two-legged Champions League round of 16 tie against either Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund or Olympiacos. There are challenging Premier League encounters with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea to overcome, plus the FA Cup fifth round.

The significant matter of the Carabao Cup final versus Manchester City concludes Arsenal's schedule before the March break, meaning Arteta cannot afford any additional complications in the coming weeks.

Arsenal's Fixtures Before March International Break

Arsenal's Fixtures Before March International Break