Can it be said? "Arteta" reveals the obstacle preventing "Arsenal" from winning 4 trophies while still competing in all competitions.
On 16 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Mikel Arteta, manager of Premier League leaders Arsenal, spoke after their FA Cup fourth-round match where they comfortably defeated 22nd-ranked League One side Wigan 4-0 at home, advancing to the fifth round.
This victory keeps Arsenal on track for a possible quadruple this season. The current status in the four competitions is as follows.
- Premier League: Leading the table, 4 points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.
- UEFA Champions League: Advanced to the round of 16.
- Carabao Cup: Reached the final.
- FA Cup: Reached the fifth round (last 16).
However, Arsenal received bad news with more player injuries. Riccardo Calafiori was injured during warm-up before the game, forcing a change in plans from having Miles Lewis Skelly play midfield to having him play left-back instead.
Meanwhile, team captain and midfielder Martin Ødegaard suffered a recurring injury, leading to Bukayo Saka being moved to attacking midfield. Ben White also showed discomfort and had to be substituted late in the first half. Currently, the "Gunners" have six injured players as follows.
Martin Ødegaard (knee)
Riccardo Calafiori (muscle)
Ben White (hamstring)
Mikel Merino (foot)
Kai Havertz (muscle)
Max Dawman (ankle)
Mikel Arteta admitted that the multiple injuries could pose a major problem for Arsenal’s pursuit of four trophies late in the season, saying, "Yes, I am concerned, especially because we have already lost players in the forward and defensive positions, and now it’s the midfield."
"We are still managing the situation, but we need fit players to return so that we have both enough players and a variety of options to face the opponents ahead. The sooner, the better."
