Saliba Blow Leaves Arteta Admitting Defensive “Headache” v Chelsea

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·1 December 2025

Saliba Blow Leaves Arteta Admitting Defensive “Headache” v Chelsea

Mikel Arteta was frustrated after William Saliba missed the match against Chelsea. The French defender was a surprise omission from the squad when the line up was released an hour before kick off. It was later confirmed that he had suffered a knock the previous day, ruling him out of the game. His absence was noticeable as Arsenal worked to a 1-1 draw against a ten man Chelsea. The inexperienced pairing of Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera started, but both endured difficult moments against a physical Chelsea side. They also struggled in the build up and made several errors throughout the game – both picking up yellow cards in the process. It may not have been unexpected, as it was a partnership that had never featured together for Arsenal before.

Arteta on losing his centre back pairing

Saliba’s injury follows Gabriel’s recent setback, although the France international is expected to recover quickly. When asked about the impact of being without his established central partnership, Arteta told Arsenal, “It’s been a headache, because we’ve had to have a lot of options and changes over the last few months for different reasons. That one is very unexpected and it happened yesterday, but the beauty of it is that you have players so willing to play, so willing to connect with each other, and it makes their relationship even better. So, it was a great match for all of us, and it gives you the reassurance that whoever is there is going to perform.”

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Mosquera (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

Short turnaround for Arsenal

Arsenal now prepare for the visit of Brentford on Wednesday at the Emirates Stadium as the fixtures continue to come thick and fast. With the short gap between the two matches, the game may arrive too soon for Saliba. He is expected to be back in contention for the trip to Aston Villa on Saturday.

What are you thoughts on Mosquera & Hincapie v Chelsea?

Benjamin Kenneth

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