Mikel Arteta faces an injury crisis at right-back as the Gunners aim to reclaim their two-point lead, knowing any slip-up could hand Manchester City the Premier League title.
Arsenal host Burnley at Emirates Stadium on Monday night with the Premier League title race down to its final two games and the margin for error almost gone.
Mikel Arteta’s side have 79 points from 36 matches, two clear of Manchester City, after City’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace tightened the race again. Arsenal remain in control of their destiny, but City’s pressure means the Burnley game cannot be treated as routine.
“We focus just on the things that are in our hands, which is to prepare in the best possible way to beat Burnley,” Arteta explained in his pre-match press conference. “That’s it.”
The wider context is hard to ignore. If Arsenal win on Monday, City will have to respond away at Bournemouth to take the title race to the final day. Goal difference could also remain a factor, but Arsenal’s manager was careful not to let that become the starting point.
“First of all, you have to earn the right to win the game,” he said. “And obviously, if I make a difference with more goals, that’s obviously even better.”
Arsenal team news: White out, Timber doubt
Arsenal will be without Ben White after the club confirmed he has suffered a significant medial knee ligament injury that will rule him out for the rest of the season.
That leaves a decision at right-back. Jurrien Timber has been working his way back, but there is still no firm return date. Asked whether the Dutch defender had a chance of being involved, Arteta admitted there was “a chance”, but added that he could not say how big that chance was.
Riccardo Calafiori is also uncertain after coming off at half-time against West Ham. Arsenal still have time to assess him before Monday, with Arteta explaining that the club must “wait and see how he reacts” before making a decision.
That defensive picture is the main issue with the selection. With White out and Timber not yet guaranteed to return, Arsenal may have to find another solution on the right side of the back line. Arteta has already suggested the answer may not be fixed, with the staff considering “two or three options” because games can change and the team must remain flexible. Mosquera still looks the most obvious solution, having played there on several occasions through the season.
The wider squad picture is more encouraging. Arsenal’s energy level, Arteta said, is “the right one”, and most players are now available, even after losing White at a crucial stage of the run-in.
Predictions
This is a game Arsenal will be expected to dominate, but that does not make it straightforward.
Burnley are already relegated, so have nothing to lose, which changes the emotional pressure on the visitors but can also make the match awkward. The Gunners will have to generate intensity themselves, move the ball quickly and avoid letting the game drift into the kind of nervous final stages they experienced at West Ham.
The reverse fixture offers a useful reference point. Arsenal scored twice before half-time at Turf Moor and gave Burnley very little encouragement. The Premier League’s report described it as a controlled 2-0 win, with Gyokeres and Rice both on target as Arsenal extended their lead at the top at that stage of the season.
The first goal could matter again. If Arsenal score early, the match can open up, and goal difference may naturally come into play. If they chase the margin before securing control, they risk making the night more complicated than it needs to be.
Set-pieces will remain important too. Arsenal’s win at Burnley earlier in the season was shaped by dead-ball threat, and Arteta’s side has repeatedly used those moments to break open tight league games. Against a side likely to spend long spells defending deep, restarts could again offer a route through.
Arsenal are expecting another strong supporter welcome before the game, and Arteta described the scenes before the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid as creating a level of energy and connection the team had not experienced before.
Arsenal know what is required. Beat Burnley, keep the pressure on City and move one step closer to the title. At this stage, the performance only matters if it delivers the result.