Mixed injury news in win over Fulham sums up Arsenal’s season
The win against Fulham on Tuesday perfectly encapsulated Arsenal’s season.
You had the positive of Bukayo Saka coming back, something that boosted the whole club. And then you had the crushing disappointment of seeing Gabriel Magalhaes limp off early with a hamstring injury.
That’s just how things have gone at Arsenal since the season got underway. Injuries have just been the theme of the campaign.
And obviously it’s not just Gabriel. It’s Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White as well. In the space of a week it looks like Arsenal have managed to lose four defenders with the biggest two games of the season looming large.
Mikel Arteta tried to put a positive spin on things after the game, as he has done all season. He’s never looked to use the injuries as an excuse, but deep down he must be wondering what he’s done to deserve all the misfortune that has come his way this season.
Saka’s return was such a great moment. The excitement that swept around the stadium when he got up just to warm-up showed how much has been missed.
And for him to then come on and end up scoring the winner was incredible. He just writes his own scripts.
It’s massive for Arsenal to have him back and with Gabriel Martinelli looking very sharp as well it does bode well ahead of the Real Madrid ties.
But the issues at the back now are a massive worry. We don’t yet know the extent of the injuries to Gabriel, Timber and White – but you feel it is very unlikely that they will all be fit to face Madrid.
In Gabriel’s case it feels impossible to think he could return so quickly to feature given it’s a hamstring problem and that’s a huge blow.
But I have to say I think the potential issue with Timber is even more worrying. If he and White both miss out that would mean Thomas Partey at right-back against Vinicius Junior and that would be a big problem for Arsenal.
The timing is just so disappointing.
It would have been great to have seen Gabriel and William Saliba together up against Madrid’s attack. It would have been a challenge they would have relished, so it’s such a shame to now have been robbed of seeing that.
I’m not sure what Arteta will do, I guess that all depends on what happens with Timber and White. But you would think the most likely option is that Jakub Kiwior will come in and partner Saliba.
It’s been a tough season for the Poland international so far, his opportunities have been limited. But what a chance this could be to make himself a hero.
Real Madrid have weaknesses Arsenal can exploit
I think everyone at Arsenal would have watched Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey semi-final second leg tie against Real Sociedad with interest on Tuesday night because it certainly highlighted some major flaws defensively.
Yes, they found a way to win the tie, as they always seem to do, but the fact they conceded four goals at home shows that there are weaknesses there that Arsenal could exploit.
I look at that team and think Arsenal can get at them down the flanks. Gabriel Martinelli was excellent against Fulham and if he can attack with that sort of energy and intent against Madrid then he will cause them big problems down their right-hand side, where they have tended to use makeshift right-backs recently.
We don’t know ...
