Pundit reckons injury to player will cost Arsenal in top-four chase | OneFootball

Noel Whelan says Arsenal will suffer from the absence of Takehiro Tomiyasu after he got injured.

The Japanese star was rushed back from the treatment table for Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final return leg against Liverpool.

He seems to have aggravated the problem, and he is now set to spend more time on the sidelines.

The former Bologna man is one of the best signings of the season by any English club and his fine form for Arsenal has helped them achieve some big results.

His performances have impressed former Leeds United man, Whelan, this season and he tells Football Insider that the full-back’s absence could cost Arsenal a Champions League place at the end of the campaign.

“It’s a massive dent for their top-four hopes” Whelan said.

“I very rarely see anyone going past him one-v-one, he’s getting to grips with the pace of the Premier League. We’re starting to see him getting forward that little bit more.

“It’s probably the last thing Mikel Arteta will have wanted. He’ll have wanted to keep that stability in the backline.

“That’s a big blow. He’s tall for a full back, so they’re not just missing his defensive prowess but also his aerial ability when defending and attacking set-pieces.”

Just Arsenal Opinion

Tomi is one of the finest signings Mikel Arteta has made and he has moved ahead of the players he met at Emirates in the pecking order.

We will miss his presence on that right flank, considering that he has now emerged as one of the first names on the team sheet.

His absence will give either Calum Chambers or Cedric Soares the chance to start more games for the club.

Hopefully, they don’t cost the team too many goals.

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