Arsenal faces a major obstacle in their quest for a quadruple

Coach Mikel Arteta acknowledged that the wave of injuries is clouding Arsenal’s hopes of achieving a historic quadruple, even though the Gunners recently secured a commanding 4-0 win against Wigan in the FA Cup.

Mikel Arteta conceded that the injury storm might derail Arsenal’s historic quadruple ambitions after the North London club lost more key players during their 4-0 triumph over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup.

The memorable matchday for the Gunners was overshadowed when Riccardo Calafiori suffered an injury of unknown severity during the pre-match warm-up. Earlier, Martin Ødegaard was also absent from the squad due to fitness issues following a 1-1 draw with Brentford midweek. In the second half, Ben White had to leave the pitch for treatment, though the defender later reassured fans on Instagram that he was “not injured.”

Calafiori and Ødegaard joined Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino in the treatment room, causing Arteta to openly express concern that the growing list of absentees could impact Arsenal’s pursuit of the quadruple. “Yes, I am worried,” Arteta admitted: “First it was forwards, then defenders, and now midfielders. We are still managing, but we need players to return soon to strengthen our depth and provide more options against each opponent.”

Despite personnel challenges, Arsenal dominated their Championship opponents by scoring four goals within the first 30 minutes. Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and an own goal by Jack Hunt quickly ended the visitors’ hopes.

Due to the shortage of players, Arteta boldly gave chances to young talents. Sixteen-year-old defender Marli Salmon and nineteen-year-old goalkeeper Tommy Setford made their home debuts off the bench, while Christian Nørgaard impressed in one of his rare starts: “Very good. These matches help them gain experience. We are missing many key players, so it’s important to ensure those available can compete.”

Arsenal will return to Premier League action midweek with an away game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Gunners still have opportunities on all four fronts and could become the first English team to win a quadruple, although the congested schedule is a significant challenge.

Meanwhile, goal scorer Noni Madueke urged fans to stay confident: “Supporters have every right to expect great things. We are working very hard to deliver a season that matches our current form. It’s truly exciting, as long as we keep doing things right every day.”