ON Sunday Arsenal will face Tottenham in one of their most heated matches of the season with the aim of trying to pip Manchester City above them in the Premier League.
The Gunners can ill afford to slip up in their hunt of the title early on in the season, after having dropped three points in their previous match versus Brighton. Mikel Arteta’s side stole the lead in the first half through Kai Havertz before The Seagulls retaliated following the sending off of Declan Rice drawing 1-1.
After three games Arsenal are fourth in the table and already two points behind City who they lost the title to by exactly the same number of points last season after 38 matches. To say the least every game counts…
To add insult to injury currently two of Arsenals key players Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard have been ruled out for Sunday against Spurs.
Last night Odegaard picked up an ankle sprain on International duty for Norway during their 2-1 Nations League Group B 2-1 win over Austria, limping off the pitch in the second half.
Norway boss Stole Solbakken wasn’t too optimistic about the situation and was worried he’d strained his relationship with Arteta:” I saw that he was sitting with the physiotherapists around him, but he had no chance to continue.
“And we know that it was an ankle sprain. Yes, it’s a sprain, and those of us who have played football know with luck it can turn out ok if the ligaments aren’t torn.
“But I’m not really sure Arteta will call me tonight to praise me.”
Rice was forced out of Sunday’s crucial Premier League match after being sent off in the previous encounter versus Brighton following receiving two yellow cards.
The midfield maestro pushed the ball from Joe Veltman as he got ready to take a free-kick four minutes into The Gunners second half of their game against a side who are sat just one place above Arsenal.
Rice has been one of Arsenals main stitches in the middle of the park arriving from West Ham last season in a club breaking record transfer fee of £100 million.
He set defensive records at The Emirates last year making the most tackles (83) in the Premier League campaign.
Odegaard meanwhile has been Arsenals captain for the past two years and one of the greatest players in the Premier League.
He’s pivotal in terms of Arsenals attacking abilities where during the 2023/24 Premier League title chasing season he delivered more assists (10) than anyone else in the red part of North London.
However what will Arsenal do on Sunday when their key partnership in midfield doesn’t exist between Rice and Odegaard, which they have heavily relied upon for over a season?
