Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka both suffered injuries at Chelsea; Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on his side’s battle with injuries: “What I’m praying for is that after the international break we have the team fully physically equipped, that they are available and that they are fit.”
Mikel Arteta says he is “praying” for Arsenal’s injury “nightmare” to end as his side were left nine points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool after Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea. The Gunners appeared on course to end a three-match winless streak in the league after Gabriel Martinelli converted a fine cross from the returning Martin Odegaard on the hour mark.
However, Arteta’s men were pegged back just 10 minutes later when Pedro Neto unleashed from range before Leandro Trossard failed to convert William Saliba’s pass from close range in the final seconds of the match.
Speaking after the score draw at Stamford Bridge, which marked the first time Arsenal have gone four matches without a win in the top flight since April 2023, he said: “There’s nothing that we can do about that.
Rice, who was a doubt heading into the fixture with a broken toe, was replaced after 71 minutes, while Saka was also withdrawn in the second period following a robust tackle by Marc Cucurella.
