Arteta admitted that the 3/12 victory at the Emirates Stadium brought more worries than joy, as both Cristhian Mosquera and Declan Rice could not play the full 90 minutes. Defender Mosquera suffered a knee or ankle issue and had to leave the field before halftime, while Rice experienced a calf strain and limped off with about 10 minutes left in the match.

"Clearly, that's not good news. We need further checks," Arteta said regarding Mosquera and Rice's situations. He added that the squad is already without Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Magalhaes, and William Saliba due to injuries.

Declan Rice suffered a calf strain and left the field late in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Brentford in the 14th round of the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium, London, England on 3/12/2025. Photo: Reuters

The Spanish coach stated that the demanding schedule is exhausting many players. After an intense run of matches against Tottenham, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea in one week, Arteta was forced to bench key players: Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, and Eberechi Eze against Brentford. However, all three still had to come on in the second half.

"We have never seen such a dense fixture list at all levels, from the Premier League to international competitions," Arteta continued. "Players are not machines. Just one more day of rest, especially for teams playing extensively in Europe, everyone would benefit."

According to Arteta, Arsenal's continuous play within a few days increases the risk of injuries, especially as they had less than three days of rest before their away game against Aston Villa – a high-flying team currently in third place – in the earliest match of the 15th round of the Premier League on 6/12.

"Recovery is almost a luxury right now," the 43-year-old manager expressed. "We are trying to rotate, but then those who were rested, like Saka or Timber, still have to come on."

Coach Mikel Arteta giving instructions during the win against Brentford. Photo: PA Wire

Besides personnel issues, Arteta praised Mikel Merino – a player involved in both goals against Brentford. The Spanish midfielder shone as an emergency striker, scoring the opening goal. In the second half, when Rice was injured, Merino returned to his natural midfield role. He continued to make an impact with an assist for Saka to seal the victory.

Arteta revealed he had worried about squad arrangements after signing Viktor Gyokeres, but those worries proved meaningless due to the injury crisis. "I spent the entire summer thinking about what would happen to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz if we had another number 9," he said. "But in the end, we had no problem because they both got injured. The lesson here is to focus on the present and deal with situations as they arise."

Hong Duy (according to ESPN, Arsenal.com)