Arsenal’s Draw at Chelsea Showed Why Gabriel and William Saliba’s Injuries Could Spell Danger

​Arsenal looked noticeably more vulnerable without Gabriel and William Saliba, as their lead atop the Premier League table was cut by a point after drawing 1-1 against 10-man Chelsea on Sunday.

While Manchester City managed to cut the deficit to just five points with their 3-2 win over Leeds, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is still faced with an even bigger dilemma, as first-choice centre-back pairing Gabriel and William Saliba remain injured.

William Saliba Injury Update

​Arsenal look imperious in the search for their first Premier League title in over two decades. The Gunners are also sitting top of the Champions League standings, but injuries could soon curtail their push for major silverware this season.

In the absence of Gabriel, who still remains sidelined for several weeks, Arteta has turned to both Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié to partner Saliba in defence.

However, a knock in training forced the Frenchman to withdraw before the draw at Chelsea, with Arteta unable to give a timeline as to his return.

That forced the Spaniard’s hand into pairing Mosquera and Hincapié on Sunday, who had only ever played together once before. That was in the fourth round of the EFL Cup against Brighton, where Arsenal triumphed 2-0.

Saliba recently signed a new deal at the club for the next five-and-a-half-years and is integral to their league-leading defence. Arteta is notoriously coy around updating the media with injury news, and it is unclear whether he will return to the Gunners’ XI against Brentford on Wednesday.

When Does Gabriel Return From Injury?

​On Gabriel, reports initially stated the Brazilian would be ruled out for between two weeks and two months after suffering a thigh injury with Brazil in November.

However, there have been no concrete updates from Arteta on when he will return, as of yet. Looking at the worst-case scenario for the Gunners, the Brazilian could potentially make his return around the Christmas period, which would be a significant boost considering Arsenal’s worrying record without Gabriel, which could be compounded during a condensed fixture list.

A Shaky Start at Stamford Bridge for Hincapié and Mosquera 

​At Stamford Bridge, both Hincapié and Mosquera picked up dangerous first-half yellow cards, while there were other insecurities on show. Hincapié failed to win any of his six aerial duels, while Mosquera won only one of his four battles in the air. However, they were both very impressive back on the ground, with Hincapié winning both of his battles and Mosquera triumphing in two of his three respective clashes.

​Both players also emerged victorious in half of their tackle confrontations. 

Given their lack of playing time together and Chelsea’s blossoming forward line, it was no doubt a baptism of fire for the pair. 

It is clear Arsenal are more secure with Gabriel and Saliba, and at times looked vulnerable against a side who are fast becoming a key rival in the race for the title.

Arsenal’s Upcoming Fixtures

​Arsenal’s next three matches across all competitions see them face Brentford and Aston Villa in the Premier League, before heading to Belgium to face Club Brugge.

With no indications as to whether Saliba will return as soon as the Brentford fixture, Hincapie and Mosquera may be called upon again. They may be tasked with stopping one of the league’s deadliest finishers in Igor Thiago, whose brace in Brentford’s victory over Burnley saw him become the fastest Bees player to reach double figures for Premier League goals in a season, beating Ivan Toney’s previous record.

As for Aston Villa, their forgettable start to the season has been flipped around after five successive wins in all competitions, which has propelled them up to fourth in the table. They have been a notoriously prickly opponent for Arsenal in recent seasons, with Arteta’s side winning just once across the previous four meetings.

While Arteta said Saliba’s injury was just a knock, the radio silence since may indicate it is more serious than Arsenal would have hoped.

While Hincapie and Mosquera have shown they are more than capable of deputising in his stead, the pairing head into a pivotal run of games with a relative lack of minutes by each other’s side.