Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has suffered another disappointing blow
Mikel Arteta, Manager / Head Coach of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Aston Villa FC and Arsenal FC at Villa Park on August 31, 2026 in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Mikel Arteta has suffered a fresh blow in the form of another player getting injured(Image: Getty Images)
View 3 Images
Arsenal finally return to Premier League action this Saturday as they host Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium. The reigning champions’ 2026/27 campaign got off to a flying start, with Mikel Arteta’s side winning their first seven fixtures across all competitions.
However, the Gunners showed complacency and were way off the pace in their visit to Brighton just before the international break, suffering a 3-0 defeat at the Amex. Arteta has had to deal with an unusually long break before bouncing back from that loss, with 17 of his players picked to represent their nations for the newly extended run of international fixtures.
Even more frustrating for the Spaniard is the fact that several of his stars, including Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Christos Tzolis, have suffered injuries - to varying degrees - during the September-October break. He will hope that all of his players are fit to face Leeds on October 10.
Gunners suffer fresh injury blow
Arsenal have suffered another defensive injury blow ahead of this Saturday’s clash. Centre-back Ezri Konsa was signed in the summer largely due to key defender William Saliba’s long-term back injury.
The former Aston Villa man has been a regular starter since sealing his move to north London, which also saw him earn an England call-up for the recent Nations League fixtures. However, the 28-year-old, who featured in two of England’s three games, pulled out of the squad ahead of today’s game against Czech Republic.
Tuchel explained: "Ezri felt discomfort when he came into camp, played with it against Spain and it got a bit worse so he stayed in camp and tried everything for the match against Czechia and it came too soon. He tried everything for the game in Croatia, got the green light and came through all the training sessions so was ready to play.
England's defender #5 Ezri Konsa controls the ball during the UEFA Nations League, league A day 3: Group 3, football match between Croatia and England at the Stadion HNK Rijeka stadium in Rijeka, Croatia, on October 3, 2026.
Ezri Konsa has pulled out of the England squad(Image: MARKO PERKOV/AFP via Getty Images)
View 3 Images
"Unfortunately, he got another hit on the quad and that caused a light trauma and we decided not to let him play through this pain, so he left camp to get treatment for both his issues now. I think nothing major but not worth the risk taking."
It is unclear whether Konsa will face Leeds. Arsenal were also without Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera in the defeat against the Seagulls, and it remains to be seen whether or not they will be back in contention, while Jurrien Timber has recently returned from his own injury struggles.
Willian reveals private Artetachat
Former Arsenal winger Willian claims he was sold a dream by Arteta and the Gunners hierarchy before his move from Chelsea. The Brazilian was signed from the west Londoners in 2020 following his contract expiry on a mammoth £220,00-per-week contract, despite being 32 at the time.
Willian’s time in north London turned out to be a huge let-down, managing just one goal across the entire 2020/21 season before scrapping his contract by mutual consent. Speaking to his former Chelsea team-mate John Obi Mikel on The Obi One Podcast, he explained how the transfer came about after a chat with the manager.
"I met Arteta, I met everyone there," he said. "And they said, 'We want you to be the main guy'. Arteta said to me: 'We're going to play like this, and I want you to be the main guy, I will build the team around you, I want to give you the key to the club'.
Willian speaking on a podcast
Willian has opened up on his time at Arsenal(Image: YouTube/The Obi One Podcast)
View 3 Images
"When I heard that, obviously I love Chelsea but I was in the last year of my contract, I was 32, and I was thinking three more years in London, stay with my family in London, they love London. And then I decided. To be honest I should have stayed but at that moment I was thinking maybe the best solution is to go there, and I signed for three years there but it was not good."
"I got frustrated," he added. "I am not saying it is their fault, but when you heard a lot of things and then you join the club, things that are not the same as what they told me, I got frustrated straight away. Three months later I said to my agent I want to leave, and that I made a big mistake leaving Chelsea."
Asked if promises were broken, Willian said: "It was more due to what I heard. I got frustrated from that because when I was there I saw some situations that I said to myself, it's not going to change. But it didn't work and because of that I couldn't play well or perform because I wasn't happy. When you are not happy you cannot perform. Money cannot buy happiness. It was the best contract of my life there, but I wasn't happy.
"I have nothing against him [Arteta]. He's a great coach inside the pitch, his ideas are great but he missed little bits on how to manage the team. The human part, he was missing it. It's important, but inside the pitch he is good. I always joke that they sold me a dream and it wasn't a good dream."