Arsenal strengthened their hold on the Premier League summit. They achieved a 2-0 victory against Brentford. However, manager Mikel Arteta faced new injury concerns. He confirmed setbacks for both Cristhian Mosquera and Declan Rice.

Mikel Merino scored the opening goal in the first half. Bukayo Saka then secured the win after the break. This handed the Gunners a crucial three points at the Emirates Stadium.

The win restored Arsenal’s lead at the top of the league. It followed another impressive performance before their home fans.

New Injury Setbacks for The Gunners

However, this victory came with a cost. Mosquera left the field injured before halftime. Jurrien Timber replaced him. Later, Viktor Gyokeres came on for Rice in the second half. Post-match, Arteta acknowledged his squad has been heavily tested recently.

Arteta highlighted the challenges. “We lost Saliba, we lost big Gabby, today we lost Mosquera,” he stated. “It’s been a tough period.” He praised Ben White’s performance. “Ben White was excellent today,” Arteta added. “Everyone given a chance is performing well.” Regarding the injured players, he said, “We’ll know more tomorrow. They need testing. Declan had to come off… let’s see who is available.”

Roy Keane Declares Title Race Over

Arsenal’s current form has drawn strong predictions. Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane believes the title race is settled. Speaking on ‘The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast,’ Keane stated the Gunners now hold a decisive edge.

Following the Brentford victory, Arsenal is now six points clear at the top. Meanwhile, Chelsea slipped further behind. They suffered a surprising 3-1 loss to relegation-threatened Leeds United. This result places Chelsea nine points behind Arteta’s team.

During the discussion, Gary Neville, Keane’s former United teammate, spoke to Arsenal legend Ian Wright. Neville urged, “You lot have got to win it. You’ve got to win the league this season.” Keane quickly interjected. He declared, “The league is over. It’s over. The league is over.”