Arsenal’s injury spiral before Sunderland: control likely, goal threat fading ahead of NLD

Arsenal are right back in last season’s storm: a swollen injury list has Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke flagged as doubts, while Viktor Gyökeres’ own scare removes an obvious stopgap option. The timing flatters them with an international break looming, but before that comes a tricky trip to face Sunderland. Expect Arsenal to hog possession; don’t expect razor-sharp finishing. Squad depth helps, yet it’s being stretched to snapping point. From what I’m hearing, timelines being floated are optimistic at best. If you’re Sunderland, you smell opportunity. If you’re Spurs, you watch the North London Derby drift your way.

Late fitness checks and internal briefings ahead of the Sunderland clash have painted a familiar picture: multiple Arsenal attackers nursing issues, with fans and pundits converging on the same names (Havertz, Martinelli, Ødegaard, Jesus, Madueke) and noting Gyökeres’ separate setback. Supporter communities debated causes from training load to medical processes, while the schedule adds spice: Sunderland next, then the North London Derby after the international break. A widely circulated quote attributed to Granit Xhaka spoke of the emotion of facing Arsenal “in Sunderland,” underlining how charged this fixture run feels. Across the board, expectation is control without the customary cutting edge.

So we are back to last season's situation with Arsenal, then. Gyökeres, Havertz, Martinelli, Ødegaard, Madueke, & Jesus all out injured. Truly unbelievable. Fortunate timing, at least, with an international break ahead. Control will remain vs Sunderland - goal threat reduced.

@EBL2017

Impact Analysis

From a rival vantage point, this is deliciously disruptive for Arsenal. Remove or limit Havertz’s physical presence, Martinelli’s vertical burst, Ødegaard’s tempo and final-ball clarity, Jesus’ chaotic press-and-link, and Madueke’s one‑v‑one spark, and what remains is sterile domination. Yes, Arsenal can still compress the pitch and bottle up counters, but their open‑play xG will inevitably sag without those profiles. It nudges Mikel Arteta toward over-reliance on set pieces, rotational runs from full-backs, and low-margin shots from range.

Structurally, opponents can sit in a mid-to-low block, narrow the half-spaces, and dare Arsenal’s second-string to beat them. Sunderland’s best ploy is to clog zones 14 and 17, concede harmless wide possession, and pounce on the first loose touch. If Ødegaard is limited or absent, build-up will tilt left and become more predictable, compressing Martinelli/Trossard lanes and forcing risk-averse recycling. The knock-on effect is psychological: when the first big chance doesn’t fall, Arsenal’s rhythm can get jittery; when it does, finishing quality is precisely what’s compromised by this injury picture.

Meanwhile, squad depth—so loudly touted—gets a reality check. Depth is only useful until it’s overexposed; then it’s a liability. With the North London Derby on the horizon, Tottenham will relish a derby built on transitions against a side shorn of its best accelerators and final-third brains.

Reaction

Fan chatter splits neatly into camps. The optimists are clinging to the calendar: an international break to breathe, then a cascade of returns. They point to Arsenal’s evolved depth and note the team can still strangle games territorially. One voice argued five or six players could be back for the NLD. Another praised Arteta’s adaptability and insisted the system will carry the day.

The realists—and the critics—aren’t buying it. They’re probing for causes: is it training intensity, match load, or a medical department that still hasn’t solved repeat patterns? Some insist it’s not volume of games but flawed processes. A sharper take highlights that Arsenal’s main goal threat has quietly shifted to set pieces, suggesting the attack is already compensating for missing open-play dynamism.

A sentimental subplot surfaced via talk of Granit Xhaka anticipating the reunion, adding emotion to an already tense run. Elsewhere, keen-eyed watchers flagged Gyökeres coming off at half-time recently as the first clue something was off, and they’re already gaming out worst-case scenarios. Underneath it all: relief that depth exists, anxiety that it’s being stretched, and a nagging fear that timelines are more hopeful than honest.

Social reactions

As long as saka rice Gabriel and saliba are OK, I am good even with a set piece goal I don't mind today and Saturday 👍 😋 👌

Amar Arsenal (@AmarArsenal7)

Merino upfront Trossard eze saka Rice zubimendi Cala gabriel saliba timber. The team can surely win against sunderland. If they park the bus , the height advantage should help

ankit kandoi (@AnkitKandoi)

What to do yo blame this to? Recruitment? No. Training standards? Not sure, but who are we to question that? Luck? Mostly that. A team needs its fair share of luck with injuries. Like Pool last year.

Vishnu Pattathil (@vishnupattathil)

Prediction

Short term, Arsenal will still control the Sunderland match, but the cutting edge drops a tier. Expect a plodding territorial lock-in, heavy cross volume, and a disproportionate reliance on dead balls. If Sunderland survive the first wave, a 0-0 or 0-1 arm-wrestle is firmly in play. I foresee Arteta over-indexing on Trossard’s movement and set-piece deliveries to compensate for the missing chaos agents.

Medium term, brace for slippage on the return timelines. “After the international break” is football’s soft cushion; in practice, players often need one more microcycle, then “late fitness tests,” then “managed minutes.” I’d pencil the NLD as too soon for full-throttle versions of the headline names—even if a couple make the bench, they won’t flip the game state alone. Spurs, with their transition punch, will fancy that.

Longer term, the discourse swings back to process. Expect renewed scrutiny on training load management, chronic issue mapping, and whether the medical-performance pipeline has truly upgraded. If Arsenal go shopping in January, the Gyökeres situation—injury murmur plus his suitability—re-enters the conversation. The more this drags, the more Arsenal’s title tilt mutates into a top-four dogfight.

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Conclusion

Strip away the noise and you get a blunt truth: Arsenal can pass teams to death, but without their elite finishers and connectors, the kills don’t come quickly enough. That’s a dream scenario for Sunderland now and a glowing invitation for Tottenham in the derby. Depth is a safety net, not a trampoline; when it’s stretched, it sags. From my seat—and from conversations around the game—the timelines being floated feel like wish-casting, not certainty.

So yes, Arsenal should still steer possession and limit chances against Sunderland. But in matches that define seasons, title winners separate by ruthlessness, not aesthetics. Until Havertz’s stature, Ødegaard’s orchestration, Martinelli’s thrust, Jesus’ edge, and a fit wide dribbler are all back humming, Arsenal will look like last year’s version in the worst ways: pretty patterns, anxious box entries, and points slipping away. Their rivals won’t send flowers; they’ll send pressure.