If you’ve ever wondered how an Arsenal player might get sent off in a way you’ve never seen before, let me tell you about a dream I had this morning. We were in a European final, the game had just kicked off, and suddenly, a ball-boy ran onto the pitch to challenge for a header near the touchline. At the same moment, Kai Havertz went to kick the ball but instead ended up booting the pitch-invading ball-boy in the back.
The ball-boy went down dramatically, like Michael Owen in his prime, screaming in agony, and the referee immediately showed Havertz a red card. In the first minute! I was fuming. I rushed to write a long blog post about how I was done with football for good—that this was my breaking point—but when I went back to read it, it turned out to be a recipe for tomato sauce to go with pasta. That only made me more frustrated. Anyway, is this dream nonsense or a premonition? I guess we’ll find out in time.
On a more serious note, there’s injury news concerning Gabriel Martinelli, reported by TNT Sports Brazil. Their update (emphasis theirs) reads:
“EXCLUSIVE! MARTINELLI ARRIVES AT THE HOTEL ACCOMPANIED BY THE NATIONAL TEAM DOCTOR, AFTER AN EXAM! The striker felt discomfort in his tendon and underwent an exam after training this Sunday. Initially, it doesn’t seem serious, but the player is awaiting the results.”
It’s vague, but further digging suggests it could be a calf issue, making him doubtful for Brazil’s game against Peru early Wednesday. With Bukayo Saka potentially missing Arsenal’s upcoming game against Bournemouth, Martinelli being out too would be a real blow, especially since he’s found some form lately with 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 3 games.
You can almost imagine Mikel Arteta this morning, checking his phone at the breakfast table and making a face that says it all—first Havertz gets sent off for kicking a ball-boy (in my dream), and now this. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious, though. The international break hasn’t been kind to us so far, and with another one coming up next month, we’ll just have to cross our fingers that we avoid any more setbacks.
On the brighter side, Declan Rice was in action for England last night in their 3-1 win over Finland. He even scored, calmly slotting the ball away at the near post after a great setup by Ollie Watkins. Rice covered a lot of ground too—he wasn’t even in the frame when Watkins picked up the ball near halfway. Credit to him for finding that energy in the 84th minute. Now, let’s get him home, in an armchair, and rested up before we ask him to do it all again for Arsenal.
Tonight, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard face off as Belgium hosts France, while Riccardo Calafiori is likely to play for Italy. The last few players still involved in international duty, including the Gabriels for Brazil, play tomorrow. We’re still waiting for a Martinelli update in the meantime.
Not much else to report right now, but we’ve got a new Arsenal Extra for you below, so enjoy listening if you haven’t already. Catch you later!
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