The win over Fulham in round 30 of the Premier League helped Arsenal narrow the gap with Liverpool to 9 points but are playing 1 more match than their opponents. In theory, the chance for Mikel Arteta and his team to win the championship is still very weak. The "Gunners" aim to win all 8 remaining matches and wait for their opponent to stumble.
However, they still have an arena outside the Premier League to dream, which is the UEFA Champions League. Arsenal went to the quarterfinals but right before their eyes were the reigning champion Real Madrid. Los Blancos is not only a team that is holding a prestigious silver cup, they are also the team with the most traditional tradition of this playground.
No matter how good Arsenal are, they are considered inferior to their opponents, not to mention that they can enter the quarter-finals with a squad that is not yet in good form, even at a level not as good as at the beginning of the season.
After the London Derby against Fulham ended, Mikel Arteta said Arsenal's medical team was reassessing the situation of Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber. The duo were both injured on the pitch and could not play fully. More dangerously, they could leave the pitch for a while as the Champions League quarter-finals are approaching.
In the 16th minute, Gabriel fell to the yard with a painful expression. He was affected in the right back of the right leg. The medical team at Emirates took care of the Brazilian center -back but he still had to limp away from the field immediately. Meanwhile, Timber felt pain in the first half an hour of competition. He tried to play but in the 70th minute, he could not anymore and also forced to leave the field.
"We have not yet grasped the situation of this duo, the coaching staff will have an assessment tomorrow. Gabriel felt unwell in the hamstring area and it was unclear how serious it was. As for Timber, he had a hard time in the first half and then he couldn't. It seems that there was a problem with Timber's knee.
One of the negative things is that this situation has been going on for most of the season. Today, people see Martinelli playing like that, but looking back, we have lost him for 3 months.
Then there was Saka for 4 months and Jesus was out all season. How can Arsenal keep their current position for the whole season?
The team is missing four key defenders in the defense: Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes. Arsenal still have four more and they are all ready" - Arteta shared.
Gabriel's replacement in the match against Fulham this morning was Jakub Kiwior. He has not played since December 8, 2024 in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Calafiori will continue to be out, expected to be " many weeks" after the injury he suffered in the FIFA Days.
Takehiro Tomiyasu is expected to miss the rest of the year after undergoing knee surgery in February. Ben White was described by Arteta to have some pain 2 days before the match against Fulham.
Speaking about the importance of Gabriel and Timber, just look at the number of matches they have played for the "Gunners" since the beginning of the season is understanding. He has only missed 4 matches, started 39 matches in important tournaments and was a substitute twice in the League Cup. Meanwhile, Timber has played 41 matches, 26 of which were as a substitute.
Before next week's match against Real Madrid, Arsenal will face Everton this weekend. This is a match The Gunners must win if they do not want to officially face Liverpool in white.
