Injustice. A costly suspension. Injuries. Erling Haaland. The schedule. Arsenal had watched the obstacles line up in front of them and they knew what everybody was thinking: champion teams in the making find a way to cope. To Mikel Arteta’s delight, Arsenal coped.
After the dropped points against Brighton, the draw shaped and scarred by Declan Rice’s controversial red card, and the loss of Martin Ødegaard to injury on Norway duty, it was a day for a makeshift lineup to dig deep, for the collective resolve to shine through.
