Arteta cites injury crisis as Arsenal’s title pressure mounts

Mikel Arteta is leaning on familiar injury complaints to explain Arsenal’s squad strain as they attempt to maintain a narrow lead over Manchester City in the title race.

Mikel Arteta has again blamed a mounting injury list for potential stumbles in Arsenal’s Premier League title pursuit.

Despite a four-point lead over Manchester City, the manager expressed concern following the loss of Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White during their FA Cup win over Wigan.

Arteta emphasized the need for reinforcements, stating, “The quicker they are back the better,” to provide tactical options against upcoming opponents.

Critics suggest Arteta frequently uses fitness issues as a preemptive defense against a possible collapse.

While Arsenal previously spent heavily to bolster squad depth, the current absences of Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz have revived the manager’s “super short” narrative.

With a North London derby approaching, Arteta warned, “We need some players back and fit, not only for numbers but different options in relation to the opponents.”