Asked directly about Gabriel Martinelli’s departure to Al Hilal, Arteta didn’t dodge it. He spoke with clear warmth about the Brazilian, describing the player he first worked with as almost unrecognisable from the one who just left — both as a person and as a professional — and crediting Martinelli’s ambition and love of the game as a real driver of the club’s growth in recent years. Arteta called him a critical player for what Arsenal have achieved, before adding simply that the story ends here and wishing him well in a different one, framing it as part and parcel of football.
It’s a notably more emotional tone than Arteta struck earlier in the process, when he’d kept things diplomatically vague about the club’s affection for “Gabi” while the deal was still being finalised.
The manager didn’t get an easy ride on the substance of the business either. With Martinelli and Leandro Trossard both sold and only Christos Tzolis arriving as a like-for-like wide option, reporters put it to Arteta that Arsenal may have left themselves short on the left. His response was pointed but brief: he said it’s simply people’s opinions, that the window is now closed, and that his focus is on all the good things already in the building rather than dwelling on business that isn’t part of the squad anymore.
He was also pressed on how difficult it proved to land elite wingers such as Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez over the summer — further evidence that, even in a window where Arsenal spent heavily, some of their most ambitious targets simply weren’t gettable.
The best news for supporters came on the injury front, particularly regarding Jurrien Timber. The Dutch full-back, who missed pre-season and Arsenal’s opening two Premier League fixtures after groin surgery, has been back out on the grass with his teammates for a few weeks now and was described by Arteta as being in really good condition. Arteta stopped short of confirming his involvement for Sunday, saying that call would be made after Saturday’s final training session — but the tone was unmistakably positive, and it sets up a genuine chance Timber could feature against Chelsea for the first time this season.
Elsewhere, there are two knocks to monitor. Bruno Guimaraes, who made his Premier League bow off the bench at Villa Park, picked up a knock in that game and is being assessed, with Arteta hopeful he’ll be fine for Saturday’s session. Cristhian Mosquera, who was withdrawn late against Aston Villa after feeling some muscular discomfort, was described by Arteta as more of a precaution than a genuine concern — with his availability to also be determined at Saturday’s training.
That leaves Ezri Konsa firmly in the frame. Arteta confirmed the summer signing — who came on to replace Mosquera and make his Arsenal bow against his former club — is certainly available for the squad, with a decision on whether he starts still to come. If Mosquera isn’t risked, Konsa looks set for a first Arsenal start, fittingly against Aston Villa’s fixture list swapped for a trickier one: Chelsea at home.
William Saliba remains the one senior absentee with no firm timeline, still working his way back from the back injury that flared up after the World Cup.
Put together, it paints a picture of a squad that’s deeper and healthier than it looked a few weeks ago, even without Saliba. Arsenal go into the derby off the back of back-to-back Premier League wins over Coventry City and Aston Villa without conceding a goal, and with Timber potentially available and Guimaraes and Mosquera trending in the right direction, Arteta could have close to a full hand to pick from against Xabi Alonso’s in-form Chelsea side.
The one thing Arteta made clear he won’t be doing is second-guessing the summer’s business out loud. Martinelli’s exit is being treated, in his words, as a closed chapter — with the sole focus for now on what his current squad can do this weekend and beyond.
