Arteta Reveals Virus Affected Arsenal Players On and Off Pitch

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta discloses that a virus affected players both on the pitch and off it, ahead of their 3-1 win at Brentford.

Arsenal manager Mikel Artleta has revealed that his team's preparations for their crucial 3-1 win at Brentford were disrupted by a virus that affected several players. The illness swept through the squad on the eve of the match, posing a significant challenge to the team's readiness.

Despite the setback, Arsenal demonstrated their resilience and adaptability, securing a vital three points at the Brentford Community Stadium on Wednesday. The win maintained Arsenal's strong position in the Premier League table.

Kai Havertz was among the Arsenal players affected by the virus, and the German forward was forced to miss the match against Brentford after being sent home. Meanwhile, England midfielder Declan Rice was only fit enough to make a second-half appearance off the bench.

Despite the challenges posed by the illness, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard started the match, although he was reportedly struggling with the virus. Odegaard's condition may have contributed to the mistake that led to Bryan Mbeumo's opening goal for Brentford. He was eventually substituted in the second half.

However, Arsenal's resilience paid off as they staged an impressive comeback to win 3-1. Goals from Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka was not the scorer, it was actually a own goal by Mikel Merino that was not the scorer it was actually an own goal and Gabriel Martinelli sealed the victory, keeping Arsenal firmly in the title race despite the illness outbreak.

Mikel Arteta revealed that the virus had a widespread impact on his squad, stating: “It affected players on the pitch and off the pitch.” This admission came after Arsenal's 3-1 win at Brentford, which saw the second-placed Gunners close the gap on leaders Liverpool to six points, although Liverpool have a game in hand.

“It is nothing serious. But it wasn't the ideal situation. In relation to the symptoms, with Kai it was obvious. He wasn't feeling well at all. He had very clear symptoms so stay away from it, put him in a car, and go back to London.

“These things happen. In this period, there are always things thrown at you, infections, viruses, so I try to delay the line-up as late as possible because you can get up in the morning and unfortunately have a surprise like this.”

Mikel Arteta is optimistic that the virus affecting his squad will have cleared up by the time Arsenal face Brighton on Saturday.