Things go from bad to worse for Arsenal following their horrible 2-2 draw away to West Ham on Sunday.
The Gunners visited the London side and for the second game running, Mikel Arteta's men marched into an early two-goal lead only to throw it away and settle for a point.
Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring after only seven minutes before Martin Odegaard doubled the visitors' lead three minutes later in an utterly dominant performance from the North London giants in the first 20 minutes of the game. However, a silly penalty at the half-an-hour mark gave the Hammers a route back into the tie.
Said Benrahma converted from the spot before Jarrod Bowen added another in the 54th minute to complete the comeback, leaving Arsenal's title push in tatters. And if that was not enough, the morning after that game delivered another huge blow ahead of the crucial trip to Man City on April 26.
According to the Evening Standard, William Saliba, the injured center-back who fans have been praying to recover in time for that Etihad Stadium visit, appears destined to miss the clash with Guardiola's men.
The French injured his back during the club's UEFA Europa League showdown with Sporting CP in the round of 16, which they lost on penalties, and has not featured since. The highly-rated defender could return to training soon. However, whether he will have ample time to start against Haaland and Co. seems far-fetched.
This would be a huge blow to the Gunners as they desperately need the return of Saliba. Arsenal have conceded four goals in their last two games and have seen a drop in their retention of the ball in their own third in the absence of their Frenchman.
While Rob Holding has done an admirable job in William's absence, the Englishman isn't as accomplished in possession as his counterpart. This situation is made worse by the absence of Takehiro Tomiyasu as well, with the Japanese ace being ruled out for the rest of the season.
However, Oleksandr Zinchenko, who missed the trip to West Ham due to a groin issue, should be back promptly. Nonetheless, a rethink of Arteta's backline might be necessary if the North London giants are to sustain their title challenge.
Saka and Co. are currently top of the table but have seen their lead slashed to four points. Additionally, Man City, who are second in the table, have a game in hand, meaning a victory in that delayed fixture and a triumph over Arsenal on home soil would see the Cityzens snatch the top spot away from their rivals.
