Mikel Arteta disclosed that a virus sweeping through the squad disrupted Arsenal’s preparations for their 3-1 victory at Brentford. Several players, including Kai Havertz and Declan Rice, were affected, with Havertz sent home and Rice limited to a second-half cameo.
Captain Martin Odegaard also battled illness, which may have contributed to his mistake leading to Bryan Mbeumo’s opening goal. Despite the setback, Arsenal rallied with goals from Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino, and Gabriel Martinelli, keeping their title hopes alive.
Arteta admitted the virus created challenges but praised his team’s resilience. “It’s not ideal, but these things happen,” he said. “We delayed the line-up as much as possible, but surprises can still come.”
The Gunners are now within six points of leaders Liverpool and hope to recover fully ahead of Saturday’s match against Brighton.
