Not to be outdone, Arsenal Football Club is experiencing their own historic injury crisis. They’ve lost an eye popping 93 man games to injury since the start of last season. This season a total of 14 players have already been forced to miss time, which is more than the entire roster. This enormous crisis deeply burdens the team. In fact, it desperately tries to hold on to the narrow competitive advantage it holds in domestic and European competitions.
Despite key injury issues, Arsenal regrouped and developed a new record-setting 18-game unbeaten streak to start the season. This seven game streak ties for the longest in all of Europe’s big leagues. The squad has racked up 17 wins from 22 games, drawing three and losing just two. This has made the gaping hole they maintain atop the Premier League table reduce to a mere two-point edge. With continuous injuries, this poses questions about if they can stay in the race.
A Struggling Squad
The current absentee list for Arsenal is staggering. Troublingly, key players are absent from this lineup. Issues Selection options Centre-backs William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Cristhian Mosquera and midfielder Kai Havertz are ineligible to be chosen. Arsenal have had to call upon no fewer than six different centre-back pairs in all competitions so far this season. That backdrop only serves to underline how bad their injury misfortunes have gotten.
Additionally, the injury-riddled plague pattern does not end with the back line. Players such as Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Ben White, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Christian Norgaard, and Piero Hincapie have all faced spells on the sidelines. The sheer volume of injuries presents even bigger obstacles for the coaching staff. They consistently fail to even keep their team selection and tactics coherent.
This pandemic has indeed reduced the field to just a few senior, gaudy game changers healthy and available for choice. The reliance on a limited pool of experienced players may hinder Arsenal’s chances in crucial matches as they strive to reclaim their footing at the top of the league.
Historical Context and Comparisons
Although Arsenal is no stranger to injury crises, they’ve shown the ability to bounce back from devastation like this before. In past seasons they’ve been able to make up much bigger deficits in point and performance. Last season, Arsenal topped the injury table with a shocking total of 67 injuries recorded. At the same time, Brighton suffered even worse losses.
Their position today mirrors what they endured last year. This year, by virtue of the unprecedented volume of injuries, it has become exacerbated. Arsenal have had an incredible 26 injuries in the Premier League this season. The only team with a weaker record is Leeds United. This alarming sustained trend begs a question re player conditioning, training regimens, overall squad depth, etc.
Notably, despite their injury troubles, Arsenal ended the unbeaten run of Bayern Munich—a team that matched their streak of 18 games—by delivering a decisive 3-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium. This victory underlines the team’s capacity to perform at their best. They can deliver extraordinary results despite the odds stacked against them.
Navigating Forward
As Arsenal continues to play through this troublesome stretch, they’ll have to lean on their depth even further. The coaching staff must balance the urgency of winning matches with the necessity of managing player fitness. Smart rotation and circumspect game-planning will be key in preventing those few healthy players left from getting overworked.
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