Opinions, analysis and commentary
Arsenal’s title defence rests on a back line that is already short of bodies. Saliba has yet to feature this season, Hincapié is hurt too, and Arteta’s side lie second, three points adrift of Manchester City with seven matches played apiece. City have scored 19 league goals to Arsenal’s 11, so the champions cannot count on simply outscoring trouble. Their margin for error at the back is slim, and every missing defender widens it. The fixtures ahead leave little time to recover, rotate or experiment.
Six wins from the first seven league games gave Arsenal 18 points. Only five goals have gone in against them, a rate that mirrors last season, when 27 conceded in 38 games was the best in the division, supported by 19 clean sheets. Defending has therefore been the foundation of everything good about the campaign. Manchester City have won all seven of theirs and sit three points clear.
The attack is a bigger worry than the back line right now. Arsenal have scored 11 times while City have hit 19, so there is less room for a leaked goal to be absorbed.
| Team | Played | Points | Goals Scored |
| Arsenal | 7 | 18 | 11 |
| Manchester City | 7 | 21 | 19 |
A back injury picked up at the World Cup has kept Saliba out of every league match since, with the club offering no return date. With no timetable, Arteta has to plan around an unknown, and every week without him stretches the cover. Reports put his comeback anywhere between late October and December, and an MRI scan is due this week. Tzolis is out with a hamstring problem too, though that hurts the attack more than the defence.
Hincapié picked up an ankle injury after the Leeds win, and Arteta says he needs a week or two more. Even so, the team has conceded just 0.71 goals a match in his absence, the same rate as the 27 in 38 that carried them to last season’s title. That consistency is encouraging.
Arsenal’s only league loss so far came on 19 September, a 3-0 defeat at Brighton and their heaviest in more than three years. Arteta described the display as extremely poor technically, well short of the basics the league demands. Two long-range goals, from Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas, arrived before the interval, and Chema Andrés added a header from a corner. The scoreline was heavy, but it stands alone in a season that has otherwise delivered six wins.
Brighton’s expected goals reached only 1.52, so Arsenal were undone by finishing rather than volume of chances. That single match accounts for three of the five goals conceded, which leaves two in the other six games.
Ezri Konsa, a 21 August signing from Aston Villa, started alongside Gabriel Magalhães at Forest. Through five league games, he had played 282 minutes, with Cristhian Mosquera on 168, Jurriën Timber on 104 and Hincapié on 34. Those figures show how little rotation the group has needed so far.
Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White keep the full-back spots. Hincapié made his move permanent on 1 July, yet the ankle problem leaves Konsa and Mosquera carrying the centre-back load for now. That puts real responsibility on two players who have played far fewer minutes than Gabriel.
Gabriel has featured for the full 90 minutes of each of the opening five league fixtures, so he must stay fit. Konsa and Mosquera need to hold the standard as Hincapié recovers, and Saliba’s scan must come back clear. Bayern Munich await on Wednesday in the Champions League, followed by a home game with Everton on 24 October and a trip to Liverpool on 1 November, so rest will be scarce.
A tally of 18 points outstrips the expected figure of 13.75 by about four, which hints at some regression. Should Saliba return and the goals conceded stay at this rate, squad depth will not settle the title, yet Arsenal’s Premier League 2026 defensive injuries remain the biggest swing factor, since the team scores far less than City. Beyond that, City’s goals give them a cushion that Arsenal lack.
Which absence worries you most, Saliba or Hincapié, and can Konsa and Mosquera hold the line? Tell us in the comments.
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Which Arsenal players are out injured at the moment?
Three players are out: Saliba with a back problem, Hincapié with an ankle injury, and Tzolis with a hamstring issue. Saliba and Hincapié are defenders, so the back line takes the heaviest hit.
When will William Saliba return from his back injury?
The club has set no return date for Saliba. Reports suggest anywhere from late October to December, with another MRI scan due this week to measure his progress.
Where do Arsenal stand in the league table right now?
Arsenal are second on 18 points from seven games. Their goal difference is +6, and Manchester City lead them by three points after winning all seven of their matches.
How many goals have Arsenal conceded this season?
Arsenal have conceded five goals in seven league games. Three of those came in the 3-0 defeat at Brighton on 19 September, so they have let in only two across the other six matches.
Who are Arsenal’s centre-back options this season?
Gabriel Magalhães, Ezri Konsa and Cristhian Mosquera are the fit centre-backs. Saliba and Hincapié are both injured, and Gabriel has not left the pitch in any of the first five league matches.
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