Arsenal secured a professional 2-0 victory over West Ham at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon, but their win was overshadowed by fresh injury concerns for both Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice.
The Gunners took control early and opened the scoring in the 38th minute when Declan Rice reacted quickest to convert a rebound after Eberechi Eze’s effort was parried. Bukayo Saka then doubled the lead from the penalty spot midway through the second half after Jurrien Timber was brought down inside the area.
Despite the comfortable scoreline and dominant performance, Mikel Arteta’s post-match interview carried a more sombre tone as he confirmed that Ødegaard had been forced off before half-time following a knee-to-knee collision with Crysencio Summerville.
“Immediately he was uncomfortable… he’s got a brace on and he’s not positive about it. We’ll have to wait and see from the doctors,” Arteta said to Sky Sports.
Worryingly, the Norwegian captain has now been substituted before half-time in all three of his home Premier League starts this season, having previously gone off with shoulder problems. It has also sparked questions over whether he should have been allowed to continue playing after initially looking uncomfortable.
The concerns deepened late in the match when Rice, who had opened the scoring, also signalled to come off, complaining of back pain — something Arteta described as “very unusual for Declan.” The midfielder reportedly requested to be withdrawn, adding another layer of concern.
Both players are due to join their national teams for international duty, but their availability is now in serious doubt as Arsenal await full medical assessments.
The result briefly sent Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table, but the celebrations were subdued, with Arteta now left hoping that his two most influential midfielders have not suffered setbacks that could derail the team’s momentum in the weeks ahead.
