Arsenal are sweating over accidents to Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice picked up in a feisty London derby towards Chelsea, with Mikel Arteta doing little to allay considerations after the match.
The Gunners took the lead towards Enzo Maresca’s outfit courtesy of a composed near-post strike from Gabriel Martinelli on the hour mark earlier than a Pedro Neto long-range effort restored parity 10 minutes later.
The purpose steadied the ship for Arsenal after a run of poor outcomes however the second half may have been tarnished considerably after harm blows to 2 of the aspect’s most essential stars.
Rice was a doubt earlier than the match with a damaged toe and appeared to hobble off on 71 minutes earlier than England teammate Saka was substituted after a heavy deal with from man of the match Marc Cucurella.
Following the draw, Arteta issued a worrying replace on the accidents suffered by the pair.
Mikel Arteta faces extra harm complications after his aspect’s 1-1 draw towards Chelsea on Sunday
Declan Rice was a doubt forward of the sport and trudged off after Chelsea’s equaliser
Bukayo Saka additionally went down with an harm after a heavy deal with by Marc Cucurella
He mentioned: ‘They do not look excellent to be truthful. I do not know (if long run) however they each could not end the sport so not good.’
Arteta won’t be the one one involved over the duo’s health with their nationwide boss Lee Carsley additionally needing the Arsenal stars to be match for the worldwide break.
The Three Lions have important Nations League matches towards Greece and Eire developing in what are the interim boss’s closing two video games earlier than handing over to new supervisor Thomas Tuchel.
If Rice and Saka are judged to be unfit for the worldwide fixtures, it could be excellent news for Arteta as it will give them two weeks to get match for the Gunners’ subsequent match towards high-flying Nottingham Forest on November 23.
Arsenal may need obtained a lift after their captain Odegaard returned for the London derby however Arteta continues to be struggling harm complications throughout his squad.
Defenders Takehiro Tomiyasu, Riccardo Calafiori and Kieran Tierney all stay out of competition due to long-standing points.
All are anticipated to be in with an opportunity, nonetheless, of giving the Spaniard a lift by returning after the worldwide break.
The tense encounter on Sunday featured a high-quality battle between Saka and Cucurella on the flanks, which the Blues star finally got here out on prime in.
Marc Cucurella marked Saka tightly all recreation and a sturdy late deal with despatched the winger flying
The Spaniard’s problem proved the top of the afternoon for Saka who’s now an harm fear
Captain Martin Odegaard returned from harm however Mikel Arteta nonetheless has issues with squad
Accumulating the person of the match award, the previous Brighton man informed Sky Sports: ‘[Saka is a] prime participant, we play a whole lot of occasions towards one another, massive respect and I strive onerous to do my work.
‘A great battle and hopefully I can do extra of this. I attempt to not give him house, be near him all the time, he’s a particular expertise so do my work and assist my workforce by doing my job.
‘As we speak I gave the most effective of me and we obtained a degree.’
Arsenal missed a late likelihood to take all three factors in a stalemate which did neither workforce any actual favours with each London sides stranded 9 factors behind leaders Liverpool.
William Saliba picked up the ball in an uncharacteristic left-wing place and squared it throughout the face of the field just for the stretching Leandro Trossard to deflect it large and previous his exasperated team-mates queueing up behind him.
The much-hyped derby pitted a resurgent Chelsea aspect towards an Arsenal outfit hoping for his or her first Premier League win in 4 however the opening interval proved to be a turgid affair.
Kai Havertz thought he had given the Gunners a lead over his former workforce, celebrating enthusiastically after a wise end solely to have VAR choose him to have been in an offside place.
The second-half was barely extra open, notably after Martinelli’s opener, and after Chelsea’s equaliser the ball was quickly behind the online once more.
Gabriel Martinelli fired Arsenal in entrance towards Chelsea however the recreation led to a 1-1 draw
Chelsea earned a degree after a effective equaliser from former Wolves playmaker Pedro Neto
Kai Havertz shushed Chelsea followers after scoring a objective, which was finally disallowed
Nicolas Jackson ran via on objective and produced a nerveless completed however even he knew he was yards offside, elevating questions over why the linesman hadn’t flagged earlier.
Chelsea regarded the extra more likely to rating in direction of the top however Arsenal had the largest likelihood of the lot via Trossard within the dying seconds.
After the match, Cucurella added: ‘Powerful recreation, they play with similar concepts for a very long time however we carried out effectively. Wish to win however draw and must maintain going on this manner.’
Neto, who saved a degree for his new aspect via his first Premier League objective in a blue shirt, mentioned: ‘Ultimately we wished to win however had onerous work in entrance of us, they’re a very good workforce, we aren’t as joyful as we need to be nevertheless it’s a degree.
‘Moments of the sport I went to him after I ought to go and maintain the ball after I ought to, it is studying the sport we did rather well.
‘I believe like Marc mentioned we did rather well and need to enhance. Consistency is essential half.
‘Actually joyful to assist the workforce, it is a group that works actually onerous day-after-day.’
