In a North London derby filled with drama, Arsenal faced a potential injury setback as their record signing, Declan Rice, was substituted at halftime due to a back issue during the 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Declan Rice, the England international midfielder, who made a high-profile move to Arsenal from West Ham United for a staggering fee of approximately £100 million ($122 million), struggled to make an impact before the break and was replaced by Jorginho during halftime.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed concern about Rice’s injury, stating, “He had some discomfort in his back. We have to assess him. It’s strange when a player like him asks to come off because he’s uncomfortable. Hopefully, it’s not a long-term issue.”
Despite the potential setback, Arteta praised Rice’s importance to the team and expressed hope that the injury wouldn’t keep him sidelined for an extended period.
Arteta’s focus after the match was on his team’s inability to preserve leads in a match that ended in a 2-2 draw. Arsenal twice held the advantage, thanks to an own goal by Cristian Romero and a penalty converted by Bukayo Saka, but Tottenham’s Son Heung-min equalized on both occasions.
The manager voiced his disappointment with the outcome, saying, “We’re disappointed not to win the game, especially when you go ahead twice. It’s a shame that we didn’t win it. When we scored again and then conceded straight away, it affected the team emotionally, and we lacked some composure on the ball.”
Arteta also defended Jorginho, who was involved in a costly error leading to Son’s second goal. Jorginho lost possession to James Maddison, who then set up Son to beat Arsenal’s goalkeeper, David Raya.
“I love him, and we love him. Errors are part of football. We are all with him,” Arteta offered his support for the Italian midfielder, emphasizing the team’s solidarity and understanding of the challenges that come with the sport.
