There was more stress for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal when Martin Odegaard limped out of a stadium in Oslo with a worrying ankle problem.
asserted
Odegaard → be → problem
However, that pain subsided and he has made a swift recovery, playing 90 minutes for Norway against Wales on Thursday.
asserted
he → subside → Thursday
He is being treated by the club's medical staff and the feeling is that Havertz will not face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with any absence likely to last weeks rather than months.
asserted
absence → treat → sidelines
If those timeframes prove to be correct, neither problem should be season-defining for Arsenal.
asserted
problem → prove → Arsenal
An away trip to Nottingham Forest is sandwiched by home matches against Leeds and Everton.
asserted
trip → sandwich → Leeds
The challenge will be taking that back to Arsenal, but the upcoming opponents are the kind of clubs his goals came against last season.
asserted
goals → take → clubs
However, these injuries to Tzolis and Havertz further draw into focus the transfer business Arsenal did over the summer.
asserted
Arsenal → draw → summer
It was a gamble at the time and, barely a month on from the window shutting, it already feels like a mistake.
asserted
it → feel → mistake
How much of one will depend on whether Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze can deliver, assuming they come in as replacements.
asserted
they → depend → replacements
It was a gamble at the time and, barely a month on from the window shutting, it already feels like a mistake
Arsenal went into the summer wanting to make a statement signing in attack, with the focus particularly on the left wing.
Tzolis was brought in to replace Leandro Trossard as a player with good technical quality and impressive numbers in Belgium, but not as the ultimate solution.
asserted
Tzolis → shut → solution
It was always intended that a marquee addition would be made alongside him.
asserted
addition → intend → him
Arsenal could not pull that off.
uncertain
Arsenal → pull → that
Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez both proved to be overly ambitious targets.
asserted
Jr → prove → ?
Other options were considered but deemed to be lacking in either value or the necessary quality.
asserted
options → consider → value
No further signings were made but Arsenal still sanctioned the record sale of Gabriel Martinelli and loaned Ethan Nwaneri to Borussia Dortmund.
asserted
Arsenal → make → Dortmund
The attack - the one area of concern last season - was weakened.
asserted
attack → weaken → concern
Arsenal have built a squad equipped for all scenarios in defence and midfield, stacked with depth that can cope with injuries to any player.
asserted
that → build → player
In attack, though, those same precautions have not been taken.
asserted
precautions → take → attack
It feels more like a case of hoping for the best - hoping that Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Havertz stay fit and that will be good enough.
asserted
that → feel → best
That has worked up to this point, with all three starting every Premier League game this season.
asserted
three → work → game
Arsenal have had big players injured for significant periods across the past four seasons.
asserted
players → have → seasons
It is not a surprise that injuries have started to hit again.
asserted
injuries → start → ?
Havertz missed huge chunks of last season and the one before that.
asserted
Havertz → miss → that
Eze is now set for a run on the left wing and a true test of whether he can consistently be a reliable option out wide for Arsenal.
asserted
he → set → Arsenal
Noni Madueke can also be used on the left and would provide some much-needed pace to the attack, but he is also the back-up for Saka on the right.
asserted
he → use → right
These are not yet major problems for Arsenal, but two injuries have already left things looking very stretched.
asserted
injuries → leave → things
The accusations that the summer transfer window was a misstep from Arsenal will only grow.
asserted
window → grow → Arsenal
It is now on Eze and Gyokeres to provide the case for the defence.
asserted
It → provide → defence
The Aporia
.jpg?width=1200&auto=webp&quality=75)
.jpeg?width=1200&auto=webp&quality=75)
.jpeg?width=1200&auto=webp&quality=75)
.jpg?width=1200&auto=webp&quality=75)
