Arsenal face a growing threat to their silverware ambitions this season, as Mikel Arteta concedes that an escalating injury crisis could leave North London vulnerable at a decisive stage of the campaign.
The Gooners stormed into the FA Cup fifth round in emphatic fashion, dismantling League One Wigan 4-0 at the Emirates in a commanding display that underlined North London’s dominance.
However, Riccardo Calafiori picked up an injury during the warm-up and couldn’t start before Ben White was forced off in the second half, compounding the concern.
Captain Martin Ødegaard was absent from the squad after sustaining a knock in the 1-1 draw against Brentford F.C. on Thursday.
Kai Havertz is expected to miss at least the rest of the month, while Mikel Merino looks set to be sidelined for the remainder of the season following foot surgery, dealing another significant blow to North London’s campaign and intensifying Gooner’s injury woes.
When asked whether the squad was beginning to look stretched, Mikel Arteta admitted his concern, replying: “Yes. Before it was the strikers, then it was the defenders and now it is the midfielders [getting injured]”.
“We are coping with that. But we need some players back and fit, not only for numbers but different options in relation to the opponents we have, so the quicker they are back the better.”
Four points clear at the summit of the Premier League, North London next travel to face Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. at Molineux Stadium on Wednesday before locking horns with Tottenham Hotspur F.C. in a high-stakes north London derby next weekend.
Arsenal sailed into the FA Cup fifth round, keeping their hopes alive for an unprecedented quadruple, with Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, an own goal by Jack Hunt, and Gabriel Jesus all scoring within a frantic 17-minute first-half blitz.
Eberechi Eze, £68 million ($92.6 million) marquee signing from Crystal Palace F.C., has come under fire for his form this season and was substituted at half-time during the 1-1 draw at Brentford F.C., marking his first league start in two months.
However, on Sunday, he set up North London’s opening two goals, prompting Mikel Arteta to acknowledge: “Those players need those moments, and especially when we talk about the creative players, they need to feel that they are producing those moments. I am very happy with that. For the mood, for the confidence, it is really a good thing”.
“The risks he took in the final third and the amount of shots that he tried to take too, it was really positive and that is what we want from him. He is already playing a big role. He has played a lot of games for us. And he will continue to do that.”
Credit to the managerless Wigan Athletic F.C., who held firm to prevent an even heavier loss, just a week after Manchester City hammered 10 past Exeter City F.C..
Assistant boss Graham Barrow said: “It can happen. Manchester City [showed in the last round] they can do it to anybody and City and Arsenal are the two teams you don’t want to play in this situation”.
“You want someone good to come out of the hat, but I always said be careful what you wish for and we saw that today. It was probably relief at the end that the players showed what they were about in the second half.”