Arsenal moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, but the win came at a price, with William Saliba and Declan Rice the main concerns.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted he had to substitute William Saliba, Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori due to injuries against Crystal Palace, but Gabriel Martinelli is also concerned. The Gunners beat Crystal Palace 1-0 thanks to a goal from former club Eberechi Eze, but the victory was bittersweet due to an injury sustained on Sunday afternoon.
Cristian Mosquera replaced Saliba at half-time, and Rice went off injured in the final stages. The Arsenal midfielder was examined by a physiotherapist and replaced by Mikel Merino, while Calafioli was also sent off at the same time, with Piero Hincapie making his Premier League debut from the bench.
“William Saliba felt some pain and so did Declan (Rice),” Arteta told Sky Sports. He told the media: “Willie was the first one to hit. He was out with a bruise. And so was Rich. So was he.”
“In Declan’s case, I don’t know if it was his calf or his Achilles tendon because it was a knock. Yeah, I think (Martinelli is fine). He said he felt something, but I don’t know if it’s a muscle problem.”
Arteta added that Martinelli would have to be checked by the club’s medical staff, while Saka was substituted in the second half to avoid injury to the Brazilian, who had been unwell recently. The winger, who captained the team in Martin Odegaard’s absence, suffered a hamstring injury earlier this season.
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“He (Saka) is sick,” Arteta said. “We didn’t know if he was going to be healthy because he wasn’t training.”
While the number of injuries is an obvious concern for Arteta, the Arsenal manager now has the luxury of strengthening his squad and could maintain a title bid despite missing key players.
“I’m really happy because I knew how difficult the match was,” he told Sky Sports. “It was a decisive win against a good team. We were clinically and defensively excellent today. No one can create big chances with the way they set up.”
“They (the players) have earned it. The way they fight, the way they play, the way they want to win is amazing. The five players that came on today made a big difference again. You can see it from other results in the Premier League… we have to do very well to win.”
Arsenal lead the Premier League with a four-point difference, ahead of second-place Bournemouth and third-place Sunderland. Title rivals Manchester City are in fourth place, six points behind, while defending champions Liverpool are seven points behind Arteta’s side.
The Gunners face Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday before traveling to Burnley in the league next weekend. A Champions League game against Slavia Prague and a visit to Sunderland follow before the next international break in November.
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