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Mikel Arteta gives his thoughts on the reason behind Ethan Nwaneri’s limp in the West Ham defeat.
Arsenal suffered a significant setback in a recent Premier League match, losing 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium to West Ham United. The match not only dented their title hopes but also saw the Gunners suffer a double blow with an injury scare for young winger Ethan Nwaneri and a red card for Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Ethan Nwaneri, the 17-year-old sensation who has been making waves in the Premier League, was forced to leave the pitch in the 81st minute of the game. Nwaneri, who started the match on the right flank, looked lively in the opening exchanges but was unable to make a significant impact due to a lack of service from his teammates. As he made his way to the bench, he appeared to be limping, sparking concerns among Arsenal fans about a potential injury.
However, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was quick to address these concerns in his post-match press conference. Arteta stated that the substitution was primarily due to fatigue and not a serious injury. “Hopefully not,” Arteta said when asked if Nwaneri had suffered an injury. “It was just fatigue, I think”. This update provided some relief to the Arsenal faithful, who have already seen their squad depleted by injuries this season.
In addition to Nwaneri’s injury scare, Arsenal also had to contend with the dismissal of Myles Lewis-Skelly. The young defender was shown a red card in the second half for a foul on West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus. This was Lewis-Skelly’s second red card in six matches, and it left Arsenal with ten men for the remainder of the game.
The Premier League later confirmed that Lewis-Skelly was sent off for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. Arteta, while acknowledging the decision, chose to focus on what his team needed to improve rather than dwelling on the red card.
The defeat to West Ham has put a significant dent in Arsenal’s title aspirations. Despite having 20 attempts on goal, the Gunners managed only two shots on target and failed to create any clear-cut chances. Arteta emphasized the need for his team to deliver with quality and break down strong defenses to win more games.
With the Premier League title now looking increasingly out of reach, Arsenal’s focus may shift to their Champions League campaign. The Gunners will need to regroup and address their deficiencies if they hope to secure any silverware this season.
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