After Saturday night’s game against Newcastle United, manager Mikel Arteta provided an update on the fitness of Kai Havertz and Eberechi Eze. The Gunners returned to the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Newcastle. Eze widened the gap between both teams.
The Englishman scored a stunning goal in the first half of the game, but his night was cut short as he limped off with an injury shortly after the restart. This was Arteta’s second substitution due to injury, as Havertz was also sent off in the opening 45 minutes.
The Arsenal manager said in an interview with Match of the Day: “Both of them had to fall off, but I think it was a small minor injury. We don’t know the extent of it. We’ll probably know more tomorrow.”
After completing his full-time stint, Eze told Sky Sports his assessment: “I’m doing well. I left as a precaution. I didn’t want to do anything. I’m fine.”
It wasn’t easy for Arsenal. During the match, there were times when I gasped and gasped again. Commenting on his team’s performance, Arteta added: “We’ve improved a lot. We know what’s at stake. The difference is really small. We started the game really well and scored a beautiful goal.”
“I loved the players’ personalities. They were very disciplined when they didn’t have the ball, and they only conceded one chance to (Yoan) Wissa. Sometimes we miss chances, but it all depends on the team’s immediate reaction and the effort we put in. We have to have something else to win the game.”
It has been a testing week for Arsenal after losing away to Manchester City, but the Spaniard said: “There was a big reset and I felt a change in energy in the dressing room. I enjoyed what I had to do and now we’re playing against Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League, which is great.”
Next up is the Champions League semi-final in the Spanish capital, but Eze insists his players are under no pressure. Speaking to Sky Sports, the playmaker added: “I don’t think so. It’s the pressure we need to win and we know what’s at stake and we have a chance to do something incredible.”
“It’s not a negative thing. This is a great position to be in to accomplish something that hasn’t been accomplished in a while. To me, that’s not a negative thing.”
