It is looking more and more likely that William Saliba isn’t coming back to play again this season. While not official yet by any means, it does appear that Arsenal FC supporters must accept this hard truth. The Frenchman’s back issues are apparently much more severe than the club wanted us to believe.
I get it, it’s all part of the gamesmanship that comes with a Premier League title race. Try and hide as much information as you can from your opposition- that’s standard practice.
Arsenal vs Brighton FYIs
Kick: Sun May 14, 4:30 pm, Emirates Stadium
Arsenal Starting XI Prediction: go here
Google Result Probability: Arsenal 55% Draw 23% Brighton 22%
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Form: Arsenal WWLDD Brighton LWWLW
PL Standing: Arsenal 2nd, Brighton 7th, 55 pts
Don’t spotlight your weaknesses, or as one popular ad campaign from yesteryear would say: “never let them see you sweat.” Losing Saliba really hurt, because it’s during his absence that the defense declined and the numbers of goals conceded went up.
Team News for Both Sides
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny are done for the season, for Arsenal. For visiting Brighton, Adam Lallana, Tariq Lamptey and Jeremy Sarmiento all remain sidelined for the longer term. Meanwhile Joel Veltman is a doubt. There is good news though with Evan Ferguson coming back into contention to feature. And that is it, for Roberto de Zerbi’s side.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.
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