Arsenal has had a strong start in the Premier League this season, remaining unbeaten after seven matches. In the past two seasons, they finished second, always behind Manchester City. This season’s good form raises hopes that Arsenal might finally overtake City. However, the road to the title is often difficult. With only seven weeks into the season, Arsenal injuries have already led to the loss of two key players.
Loss of the Captain
The first injury news for Arsenal comes from their captain, Martin Ødegaard. He suffered a ligament injury while playing for Norway against Austria. At first, he felt that the pain was different from before and was very scared. Although the scans showed the injury was not as bad as he thought, Ødegaard will still be absent from the Premier League for a while due to his Arsenal injury.
Ødegaard joined Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid in January 2021 and completed a permanent transfer the following summer. The 25-year-old is a key player for manager Mikel Arteta and the team. He contributes significantly to the team’s attack, scoring eight goals and providing ten assists in the Premier League since last season. Additionally, he created 107 chances, second only to Bruno Fernandes with 117.
There is no doubt that Ødegaard is important for Arsenal. The team’s performance is much better when he plays. Since Ødegaard’s debut in January 2021, Arsenal has won 66.4% of their league matches with him starting. However, they only achieved a 52.6% win rate when he did not start, highlighting the impact of Arsenal injuries.
Arsenal considered two options to cope with Ødegaard’s absence. The first option was to ask Kai Havertz to take on more defensive responsibilities, rather than just focusing on the attack. The second option was to move Leandro Trossard into a central position. Clearly, neither solution can fully replace Ødegaard’s impact on the team, especially in light of Arsenal injuries.
Bukayo Saka’s Injury
Bukayo Saka has had an impressive performance in the Premier League this season. He has the potential to break the single-season assist record of 20, set by Thierry Henry in 2002/03 and matched by Kevin De Bruyne 17 years later. Saka has contributed seven assists in the first seven matches.
Unfortunately, Saka got injured last week while playing for England against Greece. He left the field on his own, which seemed to indicate the injury was not too serious. However, we have not received any updates on his recovery yet regarding this Arsenal injury.
Impact on Arsenal
So far, Arsenal has managed to cope with the loss of Martin Ødegaard. After drawing with Manchester City, they won consecutive matches against Leicester and Southampton. They currently sit in third place, giving the impression that they are doing well. However, a potential danger lurks behind this success: the injury to Bukayo Saka, who has been a standout player this season. Saka was named Arsenal‘s Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2022. In the first seven matches this season, he has provided seven assists and scored two goals, with a passing accuracy of 87.2%. After Saka left the match, England lost to the Greek team. We do not yet know the impact of his injury on Arsenal, but there is currently no one in the squad who can replace his position due to Arsenal injuries.
Finding an effective strategy before returning to the Premier League may be Arsenal‘s biggest test. This situation will likely challenge the depth and adaptability of the Arsenal squad, especially with the current Arsenal injuries.
Conclusion
Arsenal started this Premier League season with great confidence but quickly faced the absence of two important players due to Arsenal injuries. This journey, full of challenges and obstacles, is one of the biggest attractions of the Premier League.
