Mikel Arteta offered positive updates on the status of his Arsenal squad after moving back into the top four with a win over West Ham.
Goals from Rob Holding and Gabriel, either side of Jarrod Bowen’s equaliser earned the Gunners a vital 2-1 win over the Hammers at the London Stadium. The result saw Arteta’s side move back above Tottenham in the race for Champions League football.
Spurs had leapfrogged their North London rivals prior to Arsenal getting underway, having beat Leicester City 3-1. But the Gunners hit straight back, with their destiny still firmly in their own hands with four games of the Premier League season remaining.
The only drawback on an otherwise positive afternoon was seeing Bukayo Saka and Takehiro Tomiyasu withdrawn with potential injuries in the second half. Tomiyasu was making his first start since January and lasted almost 80 minutes, whilst Saka was taken off in the closing stages.
However, Arteta has confirmed neither player has any lingering issues and both should be fit and available for the run-in. “Bukayo was fine, he was really fatigued and he has been through a little injury as well,” the Spaniard explained. “Tomiyasu is just that he had been out for so long and could not continue, but hopefully, he’s fine.”
Ben White missed out on the win over Hammers and will now be assessed ahead of Leeds United next Sunday. “Ben got injured against Manchester United, he felt a muscular problem and we checked him, and we will have to assess him in the next few days to see how he is,” he added.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Arsenal finish in the top four this season? Let us know in the comments
Holding came in for the injured White and performed admirably, not only scoring his first Premier League goal, but resisting any late attacks from the hosts in the second half. And Arteta was full of praise for the centre-back, who performed admirably, considering his lack of minutes leading into the contest.
Arteta said: “I said to you guys, to good people, to good things happen and Rob is another great example, but now when he plays well to give him credit, especially when he doesn’t play, the way he trains, the way he is amongst the team, he’s just a phenomenal person and player to have around the team and today, when you ask him to come he’s always ready to do something.”
Arsenal now sit two points ahead of Spurs and just three behind the stuttering Chelsea one place above them. And while it isn’t mathematically impossible, Arteta is refusing to rule out the possibility of finishing above both of their London rivals.
“Well, mathematically everything is open so, we’re going to have to go to Leeds and win again because everybody is going to put pressure because everybody wants to play in the position that we are right now.
“We have to handle that and we have a great opportunity and that willingness and motivation that we have is driving us to continue to do something.”
