Man City quietly smiles as Arsenal faces the latest bad news, impacting their Premier League title bid in the final stretch.
On 13 May 2026 GMT+7, Arsenal, the league leaders, received bad news in their Premier League title race against fierce rivals Manchester City as the injury status of key defender Ben White was assessed.
Arsenal recently announced that Ben White suffered a knee injury in their 1-0 away win over West Ham United on Sunday and will miss the rest of the season. He will be absent for the last two Premier League games of 2025-26, the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League final, and may also miss the chance to represent England at the 2026 World Cup.
Arsenal stated, "Ben White has sustained a severe medial collateral ligament injury to his knee. Our medical team is focused on his rehabilitation and treatment program, with everyone committed to supporting Ben's readiness for the preseason preparations."
This means Arsenal is without two right backs simultaneously, as Jurrien Timber, the first-choice right back, has been sidelined with a groin muscle injury since 14 March, missing 12 matches with no clear return date soon.
This problem could affect Arsenal's Premier League title challenge, as they currently top the table with a 5-point lead over second-place Man City but have played one more game. If tonight the "Sky Blues" win their rescheduled match against Crystal Palace, the gap will shrink to 2 points with only 2 games left for each team.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may address the issue by shifting Christian Mosquera from center-back to right-back, or if necessary, deploying key midfielder Declan Rice in defense, as both have been used to cover this gap before.
