Fresh injury blows highlight the strain
Mikel Arteta again raised concerns over player workload after Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera both limped off in Arsenal’s 2–0 win over Brentford. The Gunners have already played 21 matches since 17 August, with many internationals adding around six more games for their countries.
One match every four days – and tightening
The schedule has effectively meant a game roughly every four days, with a particularly intense spell of four fixtures in just 11 days. Arteta admitted injuries are never down to “just one thing”, but made it clear that fixture congestion is not helping anyone.
“Give us another day” – Arteta’s plea
Asked if the calendar had contributed to the latest setbacks, Arteta pushed for common sense in scheduling, especially for European clubs:
He argued that simply adding an extra day’s rest where possible would help “everybody in the league”, stressing that all competitions – domestic and international – are now more packed than ever.
“This becomes too much… players are not machines”
Arteta described his request as basic logic rather than a complaint. Without better planning, he warned, the load risks becoming unsustainable: players are asked to perform at the highest level nonstop, but “they are not machines” and need recovery time to avoid breaking down.
Run continues: Villa, Brugge and a rare free week
Arsenal now visit Aston Villa in the early Saturday kick-off before flying to Belgium to face Club Brugge in the Champions League. Only then will they get a rare seven-day gap between games against Wolves and Everton – and that’s only because their Carabao Cup tie with Crystal Palace has been pushed back to 23 December.
Unbeaten run… but selection dictated by injuries
Despite an 18-game unbeaten stretch across three competitions, Arteta finds it frustrating that injuries constantly shape his team selections. After a spell where attackers dropped out, the defence is now being hit, leaving him juggling options at the back.
Rice, Mosquera, Gabi, Saliba – a growing list
On the latest knocks, Arteta admitted the news is “never good” when players have to come off. Rice needs further assessment, Mosquera is also out, and big Gabi plus William Saliba are already sidelined. Adapting to absences has, as he put it, “been a theme this season”.
Squad players step up under pressure
Even so, Arteta took heart from how the less-used players responded. He highlighted Ben White’s level after limited minutes, Martin Ødegaard returning to play 96 minutes straight away, Noni gaining rhythm and Viktor Gyökeres starting to contribute more.
For the Arsenal boss, those performances show the depth is there – but he insists the game’s authorities must help protect that depth, because without better rest, even the strongest squads will eventually feel the strain.
