Just as Arsenal fans thought their injury curse was finally over, the Premier League giants suffered another injury blow on Saturday.
The Gunners managed to beat Newcastle United 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium to regain the top spot in the Premier League.
However, those three important points came at a great cost. Both Kai Havertz and match-winner Eberechi Eze were forced off with worrying injuries, turning the post-match celebrations into a nervous waiting game for Mikel Arteta and the fans.
The game started at the beginning of the first half. After assisting Eze’s ninth-minute opener from a short corner, Havertz went down on the ball in the 33rd minute with what appeared to be a problem with his upper leg.
Kai Havertz was injured against Newcastle United
Following some treatment on the pitch, the visibly distraught German was forced to retreat down the tunnel under club escort.
He was quickly replaced by Viktor Gyokeres in the 34th minute, the first indication that the medical staff were not taking any risks.
As if losing their versatile striker wasn’t bad enough, things took a turn for the worse shortly after the restart.
Eze, who had been electric after scoring a late goal, also went down with a problem and had to be replaced by Gabriel Martinelli within ten minutes of the second half.
For Havertz in particular, this is a bitter pill to swallow. His 2025/26 campaign has already been plagued by physical setbacks, including a serious knee injury in August that kept him out for 32 games.
Naturally, the concern at the time shifted to how long the attacking duo might be out, especially with the Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, April 29.
Arteta issued an encouraging injury update
After the match, Arteta issued an update on Havertz, as reported by Fabrizio Romano:
“I don’t know how serious it is but it shouldn’t be too bad. The action, as he described it, is not very sharp”.
Eze himself played down the tension, telling reporters after the match that the substitution was a defensive move and stressing, “Yes I’m fine, I’m fine”.
The Gunners successfully ended their run of form at home to get three big points on the board, and with Bukayo Saka finally back in the team, attacking depth is slowly returning.
Now, all eyes turned to the medical room at London Colney. If Arteta can somehow bring Havertz and Eze together for the trip to Madrid, this nail-biting weekend could end up being a blip on the road to a historic season.
Both Havertz and Eze are important to Mikel Arteta’s side and give them flexibility and depth in attacking positions.
With Manchester City breathing down his neck, Arteta needs all his players ready to win the Premier League title.
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