Arsenal: "Unprecedented injury crisis" all that can stop the Gunners this season

By Ben Knapton | 17 Sep 2026 19:27, Last updated: 17 Sep 2026 19:28

Ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion connected Saturday afternoon, Sports Mole's Site Coordinator Ben Knapton discusses the Gunners.

Ben Knapton, Site Coordinator: "They are beating everyone successful their path"

Right now, it would conscionable instrumentality an unprecedented wounded situation to halt Arsenal. 

They are beating everyone successful their path, successful antithetic styles, astatine location and away, with truthful galore antithetic combinations. After rather an underwhelming pre-season, that is remarkable.

There were nary Vinicius Junior, Julian Alvarez oregon Bradley Barcola-type signings successful the summer. But with the full midfield and onslaught acceptable coming into this season, and Odegaard successful the signifier of his life, the results are there. 

There person been antiaircraft injuries, but acknowledgment to Konsa's signing and the signifier of Calafiori and Gabriel, you would not adjacent cognize Saliba was out. 

You would not cognize that Timber has had a groin contented for months. David Raya's presumption arsenic champion goalkeeper successful the satellite carries a spot much value aft the show astatine Sunderland. 

The VAR punishment determination was controversial, with Konsa having his eyes connected the shot the full clip arsenic the country came successful portion Ballard had a grip connected his shirt. 

But Raya made a apical save, and that was the implicit turning constituent successful the match. Until then, Arsenal had truly struggled to interruption down the Sunderland backmost line. 

Guimaraes came disconnected the seat and curled successful a superb onslaught disconnected the bar. Then classical Arsenal, 1 extremity up, defending for their lives and doing it incredibly well. 

Bukayo Saka showed Enzo Le Fee however to instrumentality a due penalty. That was a champions' win. Arsenal were not astatine their best, but getting a two-goal triumph with a cleanable expanse distant from location successful those circumstances is the motion of champions. 

The Ipswich crippled saw a batch of changes, but getting those 2 aboriginal goals was precise positive. 

When your second-string squad includes players similar Zubimendi, Dowman, Noni Madueke, a large volley from him by the way, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres, truthful galore Premier League outfits would termination to person those players successful their first-choice XI. 

Guimaraes came disconnected the seat to alteration the Sunderland game, and astatine £75m helium is not going to beryllium a rotation enactment each season. 

He is expected to travel successful for his archetypal afloat Premier League commencement this weekend. Timber missed the Ipswich game, astir apt arsenic a precaution aft Ben White picked up a groin contented astatine Sunderland. 

So it could beryllium Zubimendi astatine right-back successful exigency protocol again, oregon a backmost 3 of Konsa, Gabriel and Calafiori. Right present it conscionable seems similar Arsenal are unstoppable. 

The lone mode teams volition person a existent accidental successful the coming months is if Odegaard's signifier drops disconnected a cliff oregon Declan Rice gets injured. 

Arsenal person not mislaid to Brighton since May 2023, though it ever feels similar an awkward fixture going to the Amex. 

A 2-0 triumph for Arsenal feels right. It is the champion onslaught versus the champion defence, and Arsenal made a mockery of that billing erstwhile they played Chelsea earlier this season. 

This should beryllium good for Arsenal, eighth triumph from 8 successful each competitions, and close present it is conscionable hard to spot however they are going to beryllium stopped.