Overview
- Riccardo Calafiori pulled out shortly before kickoff at Brighton after feeling an awkward issue in training and the warm-up, with his status under assessment.
- Jurrien Timber missed the game following an awkward landing earlier in the week, and Mikel Arteta indicated his availability for Aston Villa is in doubt.
- Arsenal improvised at the back against Brighton, even deploying Declan Rice at right-back, yet still secured a 2-1 win to stay top of the Premier League.
- Gabriel Magalhaes returned to the matchday squad after a lengthy lay-off, providing an additional defensive option for upcoming fixtures.
- Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera and Max Dowman remain sidelined for weeks, while Havertz has resumed training and is described by Arteta as days from a return.