Arteta Watches Arsenal Cruise to Victory but Suffers Injury Setbacks
Mikel Arteta oversaw a dominant 5-0 win for Arsenal over Leeds on Saturday, but the evening wasn’t without its downsides.
Before kick-off at the Emirates, fans celebrated the club’s latest signing, Eberechi Eze, and then watched their team dismantle Daniel Farke’s side to continue their perfect start to the campaign.
However, the mood was dampened by injuries to two key players—Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka—who were both forced off during the game. Their knocks come at an especially bad time, with a crucial match against Liverpool at Anfield just a week away.
Arteta Provides Injury Updates
After the match, Arteta shared cautious updates on the pair. Both players were scheduled for scans on Sunday to determine the extent of their injuries.
Speaking to arsenal.com, the manager explained: “That was the downside of today. Martin landed awkwardly and felt something in his shoulder—we don’t know exactly what yet, we’ll need a scan to know more.
“Bukayo felt something in his hamstring while running with the ball and grappling with a defender. We think it’s a different hamstring from his previous issue, but again, we’ll know more after tests.”
Arteta added: “In just two weeks, we’ve lost Kai [Havertz], Martin, and Bukayo. It shows how deep and well-prepared you need to be to compete at this level consistently.”
On Saka specifically, he noted: “He felt a twinge while sprinting, which is always worrying. He’s had injuries before and knows what to look out for. We’ll wait on the scan and feedback from the medical team.”
Arsenal Could Miss Three Star Players vs Liverpool
Although Arteta didn’t provide a recovery timeline, injury expert @physioscout on X offered estimates. If Ødegaard’s shoulder injury is a minor joint sprain, he could be out for just one or two weeks. A more serious Grade 2 or 3 sprain, however, could sideline him for up to a month.
Saka’s case seems more concerning. A mild hamstring strain might see him out for 2–4 weeks, but a more serious Grade 3 tear could mean 8–12 weeks on the sidelines. That makes his availability for the Liverpool clash almost certainly out of the question. Havertz, already out with a knee injury, is also unavailable, while Ødegaard’s participation remains doubtful.
Liverpool are dealing with injury concerns of their own. Jeremie Frimpong will miss the next two games, and Conor Bradley has only recently returned to training. This could force a defensive reshuffle, with Dominik Szoboszlai potentially filling in at right-back if Joe Gomez isn’t fit.
While it’s always unfortunate to see top players miss marquee fixtures, especially for a game as high-stakes as Arsenal vs Liverpool, the Gunners will still pose a significant challenge—even without Saka, Ødegaard, and Havertz.
Leave a Reply