Arsenal are firmly in the Premier League title race this season after beating rivals Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners put on an impressive display against the league leaders, dominating the fixture throughout.
Bukayo Saka gave the home side the lead, but they were pegged back before the halfway mark through a Gabriel Magalhaes own-goal. While Arsenal could’ve faltered, they pushed on and took the lead again through Gabriel Martinelli.
The points were sealed through substitute Leandro Trossard, with a solo effort that left the visitors stunned. With just two points separating Mikel Arteta and his team from top spot, they will be hopeful of kicking on in the coming weeks.
Arsenal had a number of issues heading into their clash against Liverpool, with some absences within the squad. Before the match, Thomas Partey, Fabio Vieira and Jurrien Timber were all confirmed to be missing.
The Gunners were also without Takehiro Tomiyasu, due to his involvement in the AFC Asian Cup, though Japan’s tournament came to an end on Saturday. There were two blows that followed the clash with Liverpool though, through duo Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Gabriel Jesus injury latest
Arsenal were without star forward Gabriel Jesus for their clash with Liverpool, with a slight injury concern revealed on the day. The Brazilian aggravated a knee injury, but pushed through to face Nottingham Forest.
That may have been too soon for the striker though, as claimed by Arteta, with Jesus missing out on the next match as a result. Speaking to Sky Sports before the manager said: “With Gabi we expect it to be something that is days.
“Unfortunately, he had a setback in training and he wasn’t fit to play. It’s something related to his knee, but I think it’s a short-term thing. The return might’ve been a bit too fast for him.”
Expected return: West Ham United (February
Oleksandr Zinchenko started Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool, but was withdrawn for Jakub Kiwior at the halfway point. It was later revealed that the decision was down to an injury concern for the defender in the first half.
The Ukrainian international appeared to pick up an issue with his calf, which has previously kept him out for two games over late December and early January. Arteta told the press, via Football London: “With Alex [Oleksandr Zinchenko] we don’t know. He had some feeling in his calf again and we had to take him off.”
Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has struggled to return to full fitness throughout the season so far, having missed out on action since October. The Ghanaian has been out with a thigh injury, with a procedure required to bring him back to action.
The original timeline had a January return in mind, however a setback saw him miss out on going to the Africa Cup of Nations. Speaking ahead of the clash with Liverpool, Arteta revealed yet another setback for the 30-year-old.
Unfortunately, we had a little setback a few days ago,” the manager claimed. “He’s not going to be available in the squad. We’ll see if it’s a matter of days or weeks. But he had a little thing. I’m not a doctor but he felt something in a very similar area and he wasn’t able to train the last few days.”
Jurrien Timber’s first season with Arsenal started in devastating fashion as his Premier League debut ended with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The knee problem can keep players out for a whole season, coming as a huge blow.
The Gunners could still see the Dutchman before the end of the campaign though, with March offering hope of introducing him once again.
Fabio Vieira has been absent for Arsenal since November 2023 through a groin injury, which required an operation. The Portuguese midfielder has since returned to training, but didn’t feature on the bench against Liverpool as he steps up his recovery.
