Arsenal got the job done with a 2–0 win over Brentford, but the result came with yet another defensive setback. With Gabriel and Saliba already out, Mikel Arteta was forced to reshuffle his back line again. Even with three points secured, the spotlight quickly shifted to the team’s mounting defensive issues, a concern that’s becoming impossible for Mikel Arteta to ignore.
Missing both Gabriel and Saliba, Arsenal leaned on Ben White for his first league start in months. He made the most of it, delivering what Merino headed in for the opener. Bukayo Saka later smashed in a second to settle the match.
But the worry came when 21-year-old Mosquera, filling in out of necessity, went down injured and had to come off. With a hectic run of fixtures approaching, it’s the last thing Arsenal needed. Arteta admitted as much afterward, stressing how quickly his defensive options have thinned.
The performance was solid, the result deserved, but the injury situation is starting to overshadow the progress on the pitch. Arsenal may have taken another step forward in the table, yet their back line feels like it’s moving in the opposite direction
