Arteta reveals Arsenal's two latest setbacks despite still leading the Premier League.
On 28 Dec 2025 GMT+7, Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager, disclosed two recent setbacks following the 18th match of the 2025-26 Premier League season, where Arsenal narrowly defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at home.
This win brought Arsenal's total to 42 points, firmly maintaining their position as Premier League leaders for the 2025-26 season, holding a 2-point lead over second-place Manchester City and a 3-point advantage over third-place Aston Villa, who have won 8 consecutive league matches.
However, Arteta revealed that Arsenal suffered two additional defensive injuries: key right-back Jurrien Timber sustained an injury during Friday training, and versatile defender Riccardo Calafiori was injured during the pre-match warm-up.
As a result, Arsenal addressed the issue by moving key midfielder Declan Rice to right-back to replace Timber, while Miles Lewis-Skelly had to be substituted in for Calafiori at the final minute.
Arteta stated, "Jurrien landed awkwardly, and there was something unusual with Richie (Calafiori). It was very strange. But when you talk to Declan and tell him he has to play right-back, he says, 'Okay, I'm ready for the challenge. I'll give it my all.'"
"That attitude is excellent. We've gotten through six months already, so let's see. There are five and a half months left. Hopefully, everything will improve."
Currently, Arsenal have six injured players, including four defenders: Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, and Kristian Mosquera. The other two injured players on the list are Kai Havertz and Max Dawman.
