Arteta Addresses Mosquera Injury Concerns as Arsenal Eyes Deadline Day Moves

Mikel Arteta moved quickly to ease concerns over Cristhian Mosquera after the defender limped off late in Arsenal’s win over Aston Villa – and then turned his attention straight to a frantic final day in the transfer market.

Mosquera, who had been central to one of Arsenal’s standout moves of the match with a sharp pass through the lines to free Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori, was withdrawn with around ten minutes of normal time left, clutching the back of his leg.

For a fanbase that has already seen key players miss time, it was an anxious sight.

Arteta, though, was clear.

“He is fine,” he said. “But he was feeling like he was about to have something. That’s why we have the bench that we have, that’s why we had to bring Ezri on.”

That change handed Ezri Konsa a debut against his former club, a twist that would have felt unthinkable not long ago. The defender slotted in to see out the result, while the focus in the stands shifted from the scoreline to the calendar.

Deadline Day is here, and Arsenal are not done.

Arsenal eye late attacking reinforcement

Arteta made no attempt to hide the club’s intent. Arsenal want more firepower, and they are prepared to move quickly.

The Gunners remain open to strengthening their attack, with Lyon’s Malick Fofana among the latest names under consideration as the window ticks into its final hours.

“We are trying to improve the squad, and until tomorrow night we're going to try to do that,” Arteta said. “I've been disconnected from the world for 24 hours, because I think my energy and focus has to be on the match, and I will get back on it now.”

The message was blunt: the match came first, now the market gets his full attention.

Depth under the microscope

With departures already trimming the forward line, Arteta was asked whether he believes Arsenal still have enough options in the final third. His answer hinged on one thing: availability.

“It depends if everybody's fit or not,” he replied. “We can talk about today, but that scenario might change.”

He pointed to recent scares as a warning. Losing Willy Saliba had already exposed how quickly a solid squad can look thin.

“We knew that with Willy out, we had an injury in the back line. We knew we were in big trouble, so we had to do everything,” Arteta said. “And today, Mosquera, he could not continue. So we know that the depth has to be really big when you're fighting for four competitions, in the manner that we play as well. So we're going to try to do that.”

The win over Villa brought points and reassurance over Mosquera. The real test now moves off the pitch: can Arsenal find the extra piece or two that turns depth from a concern into a weapon for the rest of the season?