Arsenal have received a huge fitness boost ahead of their trip on Sunday to face Manchester City at the Etihad.
The Gunners started their Champions League campaign on the right note with a tough 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. But after the match, there were some doubts as to whether Viktor Gyokeres and Mikel Merino will be fit for the weekend clash. This was due to both of them suffering head injuries while attempting an aerial duel.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Mikel Arteta had this to say about the two:
“I think they are good. I haven’t spoken to them, but I think they’re all good.”
It was down to the substitutions made by the manager that the north Londoners were able to come away from Spain with the three points. Reflecting on the contribution of the two goal scorers, this is what the Spaniard had to say:
“Something that we always discuss is that the finishers have to impact the game, and Gabi and Leo came on to make the difference for the team,” Arteta said.
Arsenal Fever View:
The cautious nature of the starting XI was justified given how physical Bilbao were as Arsenal were focusing on being defensively solid. This stunted their attack to an extent despite the best efforts of the new signings in attack.
Both Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke tried their best to get the attack going but they could not create many clear-cut opportunities. With the game heading towards a stalemate, Arteta decided that it was time to shake things up.
Both Gyokeres and Eze were taken off and in came Martinelli and Trossard. And mere seconds after the Brazilian was introduced, he combined with the Belgian forward to score a superb solo goal. That lead gave the Gunners a lot more breathing room and helped them manage the game better.
Arsenal secured the win thanks to a goal that was scored by Trossard and assisted by Martinelli who was repaying the favour from earlier. This bodes ahead of a difficult trip to Manchester where City are high on confidence having beaten their crosstown rivals. Having both Gyokeres and Merino fit will surely be a huge boost for the team.
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