Arteta confirms potential absence of key defender ahead of Cyrstal Palace clash | OneFootball

Arsenal face Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium as they look to stretch their unbeaten run to 10 matches in all competitions.

The Gunners have not suffered defeat since their meeting with Liverpool, although Mikel Arteta has revealed that a key defender could miss the weekend clash, creating an unwelcome concern ahed of the London derby.

“Gabriel [Magalhaes] had to leave the pitch with an issue, and he hasn’t been able to train yet,” said the head coach. “So let’s see how he evolves in the next 24 hours to see whether he’s available or not for the weekend.“

Crystal Palace have begun the season strongly after lifting the FA Cup last season and claiming the Community Shield this year, Arteta is expecting a tough test this weekend.

“We know what Palace are doing, what Oliver [Glasner] is doing for the football club, and the way they are getting results.

“So it’s going to be a really tough match, but we’re going to play again in front of our crowd, and we are confident that if we hit our level, we have a big chance to win it.”

Arsenal have conceded just three goals in the Premier League this season and are on course to challenge Chelsea’s 2004/05 record, when they let in only 15 all season.

While Arteta is pleased with the defensive record, he insists there’s still room for improvement and wants his side to push even further.

“We want these kinds of records; we have been getting a lot of them,” explained the 43-year-old.

“At the end, we want it to bring the silverware and the trophies. However, the more we can produce, I think the closer we will be to achieving what we want to do.

“The defensive record is very good, but we need to be consistent; it’s only the start of the season. The aim is to continue improving things, which we can still do a lot of, to do even better.“

The atmosphere at the Emirates has dipped since the 2022/23 season, when the Gunners were title contenders for the first time in a while. Arteta is keen to restore that energy and encourage fans to stay in their seats for the full 90 minutes.

“It’s one of the most important things, and I love that, because we don’t just expect supporters to turn up at the stadium. We want them to play the game with us, which is very different.

“To do that, you have to be in your seat with a certain behaviour and body language. Sunday at 2pm will be a good test of how we turn up after a big Champions League game.

“If we’re going to take another step and achieve something we didn’t last year, everyone has to come to the stadium with that mindset. That’s what I want to see.”