Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says that both Eberechi Eze and Kai Havertz succumbed to “small niggles” after they were forced off due to injury against Newcastle United.
The Gunners held on for a narrow win over the Magpies at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening.
Eze scored the only goal of the game with a stunning finish in the first half to send the north London outfit back to the top of the Premier League table.
The victory came at a cost, however. Havertz was replaced by Viktor Gyokeres in the 34th minute after he required treatment on his upper right leg, indicating he injured his groin.
Eze was Arsenal’s second player to go down and had to be replaced by Gabriel Martinelli on the left wing seven minutes into the second half. The attacking midfielder was able to take a place on the bench, suggesting it may not be a serious issue.
Arsenal injury news as Eze and Havertz updates issued
“Both of them had to come off, I think it was small niggles,” Arteta told BBC Match of the Day after the full-time whistle.
“We don’t know the extent of that. Probably tomorrow we will know more.”
The Arsenal boss felt his side’s performance was “much better” than the one that saw them lose to Manchester City last week.
“We know what is at stake,” he added. “The margins are really small. We started the game really well, scored a beautiful goal. I loved the personality of the players. We were so disciplined without the ball, we only conced one chance with [Yoane] Wissa.
“We can miss chances but it is how the team reacts immediately and the effort that we put. We have to have something else to win games.”
