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Topics: Arsenal, William Saliba, Mikel Arteta, Manchester City, Premier League, Injury
Will Evans
Topics: Arsenal, William Saliba, Mikel Arteta, Manchester City, Premier League, Injury
Arsenal face a huge injury setback with a key player set to miss their crucial title showdown with Manchester City on Wednesday.
The Gunners maintain a five-point lead over City at the top of the Premier League table, but the reigning champions have two games in hand.
A recent drop in form from Mikel Arteta's side has opened the door for City to clinch the title as the end of the season nears.
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Arsenal haven't been helped by an injury to one of their key players who has been missing since March.
Defender William Saliba left the pitch during the Gunners' Europa League last-16 defeat to Sporting Lisbon with a back injury and is yet to return.
There had initially been hope he would be fit to feature in the game against City, but recent assessments have failed to show significant improvement and he's set to miss the game, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.
He's also likely to be out of Arsenal's game against Chelsea on May 2 with Rob Holding expected to continue filling in.
Arsenal's dip in form since his injury is proof of how important Saliba is to their success and that the depth they have in the squad isn't good enough.
In five fixtures since his injury, the club have picked up nine points from a possible 15 and have conceded nine goals.
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Whilst Arteta's reluctance to rotate has come with positives, it has proven difficult for players who are replacing injured stars to integrate well.
Saliba has kept 11 clean sheets across 27 starts for the Gunners in the league this season and prior to his injury they conceded an average of 0.8 goals per game which has now risen to 1.8.
Whilst it might be the pressure getting to the group of players who aren't used to challenging for the big prizes, it shows that Saliba is irreplaceable in the starting line-up.
Arsenal will be hoping he's back before the season ends but at that point, the title might be in City's grasp.