ARSENAL MANAGER MIKEL Arteta admitted preparations for his side’s win over Brentford were derailed by a bug which swept through his squad.
The Gunners came from a goal down to complete a 3-1 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium to move back up to second and six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool to keep their title dream alive.
But Arteta revealed several of his players were struck down by a virus on the eve of the game.
Kai Havertz was sent home with the bug, while Declan Rice was a surprise starter on the bench.
Captain Martin Odegaard was rumoured to be struggling in the hours ahead of kick-off. However, he was able to start the fixture before he was replaced in the second period.
“It affected players on the pitch and off the pitch,” said Arteta when quizzed about the bug.
“It is nothing serious. But it wasn’t the ideal situation. In relation to the symptoms, with Kai it was obvious. He wasn’t feeling well at all. He had very clear symptoms so stay away from it, put him in a car, and go back to London.
“These things happen. In this period, there are always things thrown at you, infections, viruses, so I try to delay the line-up as late as possible because you can get up in the morning and unfortunately have a surprise like this.”
Arteta is hopeful the virus will have abated for his side’s trip to Brighton on Saturday.
But it provided another selection headache for the Spaniard with star man Bukayo Saka already ruled out for two months.
The Gunners were behind after just 13 minutes when Bryan Mbeumo struck for Brentford before David Raya nearly gift-wrapped the hosts a second when he allowed Keane Lewis-Potter’s shot to slip through his grasp.
Raya clawed the ball off his own line and one minute later Gabriel Jesus headed Arsenal back on level terms – the Brazilian’s sixth goal in four matches.
Asked what was going through his mind following Raya’s error, Arteta said: “Hopefully that the watch doesn’t vibrate.
“It was an unusual action from David. But it happens and we were lucky that the goal didn’t go in because it could have changed the game.”
Mikel Merino then put the visitors ahead after 50 minutes before Gabriel Martinelli added a third with Ethan Nwaneri – the 17-year-old handed his first Premier League start in place of Saka – involved in both goals.
Arteta continued: “We went a goal down so it becomes a big mountain to climb, but the team showed composure and they were emotionally very calm. We deserved to win the game.
“We had a little issue (with the bug) and the team still performs and we had a 17-year-old (Nwaneri) in that starting line-up and it is great to see how he played with that courage and determination.
“In that position it wasn’t because of the bug but because he was the best player in that position to start the game.
“He made his debut here (against Brentford in 2023) and then today he made his full Premier League debut. Sometimes that feeling comes in and you feel it is the right one.”
Brentford remain in 12th but Bees boss Thomas Frank said: “I go into every game and I believe we can win and the way the team played today they showed they believe, too.
“But we are competing against a team that is fighting for the title so it is not a massive surprise we lost today. Hopefully we can get better and improve and I am confident we will win games.”
Scrap the 1.5 metre push in underage and allow props to scrummage. That way youth coaches will stop picking lads shaped like backrowers for squads and pick lads who look like that can scrummage.
@chris mcdonnell: Whatever about the safety argument at u-14s or u-16s it should definitely be full scrumaging at u-18s
@garrett mccolgan: it’s too late at that stage, development squads and junior schools squads are been selected at that stage, the big shaped less moblie kid needs to make those squads to be pushed on. Coach the coaches and refs about safety but a scrum should be about scrummaging
@chris mcdonnell: You made this point before but we didn’t get a proper debate going. I 100% disagree with you on this. 3 reasons for a start off 1. Underage teams have lots of different shapes & sizes 2. Coaching standards vary considerably from club to club & 3. You will not always have a branch appointed referee. Every single reason relates to safety which has to be prioritised over the future development of 1 professional prop out of those 100s of kids rocking up on a weekend.
@Paul Ennis: i understand your concerns about safety and some clubs/teams just don’t have those type of players. That’s fair enough.
Coaching standards is not an excuse, clubs and the branch should be responsible for coaching, especially the scrum.
The affiliate ref situation is a worry so in that case maybe revert to current rules.
But at schools cup level and regional selection ( say in leinster the shane horgan cup under 16s ) these lads should be allowed scrumage. Otherwise it’s backrows in at prop and they just don’t turn into real props.
@chris mcdonnell: we just need heavier men, technique can only take them so far…
@Paul Ennis: Was there any data on the numbers of serious injuries from scrummaging in school age rugby?
@Tom Murphy: my point is the heavier kids don’t get selected as there is no advantage for a coach to pick them when they can select a much more mobile lighter player becuase there no real benifit In scrum. .
@Tom Murphy: the thing is though, we definitely have heavier men here in Ireland. If there’s one thing that genetically shouldn’t be a massive problem is some lad that’s 5ft11-6ft2 and has a load of timber lashed on. It’s not like locks where minster lads like that are thin in the ground. Everyone knows a lad the size and shape of Furlong and played Junior B football with them. It’s about getting them into the sport
@Conor Quinn: I have tried posting a reply, but the 42 finds it offensive!! I cannot figure out why
@Paul Ennis: I will try again though. I have only witnessed one injury in 15 years of coaching and refereeing, and that was a 12 year old. I won’t go into the details in case that is what was found to be offensive. I believe there are 3 main reasons for a dominant scrum at youths 1. They are bigger 2. Technically better 3. They are illegal. In my experience, number 3 is the most common reason. Referees are vital to manage the safety of a scrum and at U13 to certainly U15 there is an element of coaching the players. Once you cut out the illegal stuff giving one team dominance, the 1.5m push becomes irrelevant.
@chris mcdonnell: The U19 law variations apply (including the 1.5m push)… are there for safety and apply to many adult games too (J3 and below). That aside, most referees who cover Shane Horgan are C panel referees and would rarely cover J2 games, Senior Cup will absolutely be B panel referees with ARs but the vast majority of schools games will be referees from across the spectrum. They are midweek games and referees have full time jobs or businesses to run. It is not possible to ensure the quality of referee to manage the laws without U19 variations for kids. And even if you decided to disregard the U19 laws for the senior cup, for 50% of the senior schools this will be for 1 game out of a 15 game season. That would be a nightmare.
@chris mcdonnell: Your reply to Tom is relevant, but I will counter that. A technically superior prop will beat a heavy prop 9 times out of 10. In addition, the heavier prop is not learning anything if he is just allowed to use his size and weight to over power his opposite number. Granted the 1.5m push doesn’t solve this problem either, but it does teach him control.
@Paul Ennis: great discussion Paul and Chris. Nice to read people that know what they’re talking about.
This is a great move and a really good initiative.
I suppose it’s better late than never but why has it taken so long to address a problem that was so evident for a long time now. I have pointed out here on more than one occasion the need to scout young props who line out every weekend all over Ireland. IMO there are scores of young lads who with the right recognition and direction could aspire to become senior provincial and ultimately International props.
@Tom Reilly: The IRFU thought by completely banning NIQ front row signings, the problem of producing IQ props of a sufficient standard would magically disappear. Glad, they’ve decided to be proactive rather than reactive now. Better late than never as the saying goes.
At the rate things are doing we’ll have a coach for every position on the field.
@Jp Cleary: going
All pro props in the country should do a front row camp for 2/3 days a month to enhance development
@Barry Leahy: Attend one of give to schools players?