Bukayo Saka returned after a long injury and scored on his return for Arsenal. The winger suffered a hamstring injury last December. Saka had undergone a surgery, spending over 101 days off the pitch, he returned to the training last week. Mikel Arteta considered naming him to the squad against Fulham. Tuesday the 23 year old entered the field in 66th minute replacing Ethan Nwaneri. He then scored a goal in the 73rd minute, just 7 minutes after his return.
He celebrated his goal with the team’s medical staffs, indicating their importance for his recovery. Arsenal won the 2 to 1 beating Fulham at emirates. But not everything went the Gunners way. Gabriel Magalhães, the Brazilian defender got injured just 14 minutes into the game. After minutes of inspection from the medical team, he left the pitch heart broken.
Gabriel isn’t just a defender, he is the key player for Arsenal. He scored 5 goals in his 41 appearances this season. He had a crucial role in converting Arsenal’s set pieces, especially corners into goals. Along with him, Jurrien Timber also suffered a knee injury and left the field.
Bigger Problem for Arsenal
Arsenal are set to face the Los Blancos next week for the Champions league quarter finals. With Saka’s return, everything seemed to go well, but fate had other plans. Arsenal’s chances of winning is a question now with their key defenders injured. Arteta’s side are also short of strikers. They are more depended on the summer transfer window to sign a striker. Mikel Arteta stated, “Two players who never wanted to come off are those”.
This statement simply tells how important these 2 players are for Arsenal. Gabriel and Timber controlled the game, ensured their attackers to play more freely. Now their absence is set to affect the team’s combination and also their winning chances. Real Madrid have one of the best attack in the world right now. Even when their unstable defense, their midfielders managed to hold the line. With Arsenal’s lack of finishing ability and Defensive lineup, the real question arises. Who is going to stop Mbappe, Vinicius and Rodrygo?
Arsenal and Real Madrid both lack defense now. Arsenal can defend, but they are weakened due to the injury. Real Madrid can’t defend due to lack of players. Its up to the front line of the both team that decides the result of the game. Arsenal are now weaker on the back ends, allowing Vinicius and Rodrygo to use their pace.
Author’s View
Arsenal’s are just 9 points behind Liverpool in the league table. Their only trophy hope for this season is the Champions league. The Gunners already lack a quality striker this season and had an upper hand when it came to the defense. Now with Gabriel and Timber injured, Arsenal are going to struggle a lot.
In terms of who is going to advance to the semifinals, its completely going to rest on the shoulders of their attackers. Real Madrid have the upper hand in terms of quality attack and it’s the Champions league. Arsenal quickly need to address these issues and have a better planning ahead the champions league game.
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