Three points, another clean sheet and Arsenal level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Everton gave us plenty to celebrate, Gooners!
But there was one rather strange sight towards the end of the game.
Why on earth was Noni Madueke playing at left-back while Riccardo Calafiori had moved further forward?
At first glance, it looked like an unusual tactical decision from Mikel Arteta. However, the Arsenal manager has now revealed that an injury concern was behind the unexpected switch.
Arteta Explains Madueke’s Unusual Positional Switch
Calafiori started on the bench against Everton, with Myles Lewis-Skelly taking his place at left-back.
The Italian was introduced during the second half as Arsenal looked to build on their early advantage, but towards the closing stages, something clearly wasn’t quite right.
Madueke, who had been particularly lively in his attacking role, suddenly found himself defending on the opposite flank.
Asked about the decision in his post-match press conference, Arteta explained:
“It was because he had a slight issue, we don’t know what it is, it seems to be something very small,”
The manager also explained that Calafiori had been cautious about the problem.
That’s hopefully reassuring news, although we don’t yet know exactly what the issue is or whether it could affect his availability.
(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Another Injury Concern for Arsenal’s Growing List?
It’s certainly not ideal timing.
We’re already facing an extended spell without Bukayo Saka, while William Saliba and Christos Tzolis have also been recovering from injuries.
And Calafiori wasn’t the only defender giving us a scare against Everton.
Gabriel required treatment during the second half, raising concerns among supporters, but thankfully continued and went on to score our second goal.
As we saw in yesterday’s 2-0 victory over Everton, Arteta has been making good use of his squad, and having alternatives available is becoming increasingly important.
Piero Hincapié has recently returned from his ankle injury, while Lewis-Skelly offers another option at left-back.
Hopefully, Calafiori’s problem really is as minor as Arteta suggested.
With fixtures coming thick and fast, we can ill afford to lose another important player, particularly when we’re trying to maintain momentum in the title race.
What do you think, Gooners? Are you concerned about Arsenal’s growing injury problems?
Join the discussion in the comments below.
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