Arsenal's Title Charge Threatened by Mounting Injury Concerns
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has voiced significant apprehension about the Gunners' escalating injury situation, particularly among their attacking players, as the club continues its pursuit of Premier League glory. Despite sitting comfortably at the summit of English football, the north London side faces a crucial test against Sunderland this Saturday with seven first-team players currently unavailable through injury.
Injury List Grows at Critical Juncture
Mikel Arteta's squad has been decimated by fitness issues at precisely the moment they appear strongest in the league table. Only arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur have more players sidelined across the Premier League, with Spurs currently missing ten first-team members compared to Arsenal's seven.
The situation becomes particularly concerning when examining the specific positions affected. Arsenal's forward line has been hit hardest, with Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and captain Martin Odegaard all ruled out of the upcoming match at the Stadium of Light.
While Gabriel Jesus has returned to training this week after a ten-month absence with knee trouble, the Brazilian will be gradually reintroduced to first-team action rather than thrown straight into the fray.
Keown's Stark Warning for Title Hopefuls
Speaking on talkSPORT, the Gunners legend didn't mince words about his concerns. "I'm worried about the number of injuries that Arsenal have. That's an issue," Keown stated. "The manager is doing well to put that to one side. [But] you can't keep getting away with it."
Keown drew parallels between Arsenal's striking options and those available to the England national team, noting: "I was comparing the England squad today to the Arsenal squad. We've only got one England striker and Arsenal have only got one striker, Gyokeres."
The former centre-back did find reasons for optimism elsewhere in the squad, praising the depth in defensive positions. "Jurrien Timber is quite magnificent at full-back. Ben White plays well and the two central defenders [William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes]. Cristhian Mosquera has come in and is really at the level, so that's taken care of."
In midfield, Keown reserved special praise for Declan Rice, describing him as "becoming the Bryan Robson of his era. He's just up and down and everywhere."
Improvised Solutions and Squad Depth Tested
With no recognised centre-forward available, midfielder Mikel Merino has been deployed as an emergency number nine, a move that paid dividends with the Spaniard scoring twice in the Champions League victory over Slavia Prague.
Arsenal's impressive squad depth has mitigated the impact of absentees thus far, but Keown emphasised the urgency of having key attackers return promptly. "We need them back quickly," he stressed. "There's an international break coming and fingers crossed they're all available afterwards."
Arteta remains hopeful that most, if not all, of the injured players will be fit for Arsenal's first match after the international break - the highly anticipated North London derby against Tottenham.
The Gunners approach the Sunderland fixture having won ten consecutive matches without conceding a single goal, an extraordinary run that has established them as clear title favourites. However, Keown's warning serves as a reminder that even the most promising campaigns can be derailed by fitness crises at critical moments.
