Mikel Arteta has disclosed that Arsenal’s preparations for their 3-1 victory against Brentford were disrupted by a virus that affected several players within the squad.
A number of key Arsenal players fell ill just before the important Premier League match on Wednesday.
German forward Kai Havertz was sent home due to the illness, while England midfielder Declan Rice was limited to a substitute appearance in the second half.
Martin Odegaard reportedly experienced symptoms prior to the match and, although he started, the Arsenal captain made an error that allowed Bryan Mbeumo to score the opening goal, leading to his substitution later in the game.
Despite these challenges, the Gunners demonstrated resilience at the Gtech Community Stadium, overcoming the outbreak to re-enter the title race.
Goals from Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino, and Gabriel Martinelli ensured that Arsenal remained on course for their objectives.
“It impacted players both on and off the field,” Arteta remarked after Arsenal, now in second place, closed the gap to leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
“It is not a serious issue, but it was not an ideal scenario. Regarding the symptoms, Kai was clearly unwell. He exhibited significant symptoms, so we decided to send him home in a car to London.
“Such situations are not uncommon. During this time of year, various challenges arise, including infections and viruses, which is why I prefer to finalize the line-up as late as possible; you can wake up to unexpected developments.”
Arteta expressed optimism that the virus would have subsided by the time his team travels to Brighton on Saturday.
