Arteta Confirms Mosquera Injury Not Serious After Arsenal Victory
Mikel Arteta insisted Cristhian Mosquera had avoided serious injury after the defender was withdrawn during Arsenal’s gritty 1-0 win at Aston Villa on Monday night – a result that keeps the champions perfect after two Premier League games.
Mosquera, 22, came off in the second half with what looked a worrying problem, prompting the introduction of new signing Ezri Konsa, who walked into a storm of boos on his return to Villa Park.
Arteta admitted he was not prepared to gamble.
“We knew that if we had an injury on the back line with Jurrien (Timber) out, we'd be in big trouble – so we had to do Ezri,” he said after Bukayo Saka’s strike decided a tight contest. “Mosquera could not continue, so we know the depth has to be really big when we're fighting for four competitions in the manner that we play as well.
“He’s fine, but he was feeling like he was about to have something, and that's why we have the bench that we have, and that's why we had to bring Ezri in.”
Konsa’s hostile homecoming
Konsa’s debut came in the kind of setting coaches usually try to avoid for a new signing. Back at his old ground, late in a one-goal game, with the home crowd on his back.
“Ezri makes a debut in really difficult circumstances; it's not easy emotionally to come here and play,” Arteta said. “But he looks so composed, so calm, so in control.”
Arsenal needed that calm. This was no flowing exhibition from the champions. They had to absorb pressure, silence a fired-up Villa crowd and make their one clear opening count.
The pressure finally told just before the hour. From their first effort on target, Arsenal struck, and that was enough.
Calafiori: result over style
Riccardo Calafiori, who supplied the assist for Saka’s winner, made no attempt to dress the performance up as anything it wasn’t. This was about survival and three points.
“It proved far from a classic performance,” he admitted in his own way, stressing that the clean sheet mattered more than the aesthetics. “I'm so happy with the clean sheet, especially when I talk with the guys – the defenders – I always say that if we don't concede, we obviously have much more chance to win the game, and I think we always do so well.”
At Villa Park, that mindset was non-negotiable.
“At the end of the game, it's so important for us, especially at a tough place like this one, we just want to win when we come here and we did it.”
Arsenal’s defensive edge has sharpened since a leaky pre-season that clearly annoyed the dressing room.
“In pre-season we were upset, I think we conceded too much, but then as the season started, we have all the players back,” Calafiori said. “We fight, and you see how we do mistakes sometimes, but how we track back with the runs, it's unbelievable, and each player, even the attackers, so I'm so happy.”
Saka the finisher, Calafiori the supplier
Calafiori’s cross for Saka’s decisive goal brought up his second assist of the league campaign, underlining his growing influence from full-back.
“I'm just so happy to pass the ball to B [Saka],” the 24-year-old Italy international said. “As I say, it was a tough, tough game, we need these kind of moments, you know, to change the game – and we did it.”
Two games, two wins, another clean sheet, and a key defender declared “fine” after a scare. It wasn’t sparkling, but on nights like this, champions don’t chase applause. They bank points and walk away.
