Mikel Arteta Reveals Arsenal Problem Giving Him Sleepless Nights After Man City Win

Mikel Arteta has pinpointed Arsenal’s key transfer priority for the remainder of the window, even after securing a convincing 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City in Cardiff.

Despite starting the new season with a trophy, Arteta acknowledged that the club is actively looking to strengthen areas of the squad depleted by injuries.

Goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard sealed a comfortable win against Enzo Maresca's side, but defensive concerns linger.

Arsenal's backline appears thin, with William Saliba sidelined by what Arteta described as a longer-term injury. New signing Jurrien Timber is also still weeks away from a return, though he is making progress in his recovery.

In the match against City, Cristhian Mosquera partnered Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence, flanked by Ben White and Calafiori. While the defence held firm, Arteta confirmed that addressing the lack of depth is a priority.

"We know that there are certain areas that through injuries we are weaker and we need to strengthen," Arteta stated. "We are trying to do that. We’ve been trying to do that for weeks."

However, the Arsenal manager stressed that the club will only make a move if the right player becomes available before the transfer window closes.

This echoes his comments from the past week, where he admitted the club had "detected some areas that can be strengthened."

The need for defensive reinforcements is clear. With Saliba out, Arsenal are missing a first-choice centre-back, and Timber's return is not imminent.

While Ben White and Piero Hincapie can cover the central positions, moving them from their full-back roles would leave Arteta with fewer options out wide.

Although Mosquera put in a solid performance alongside Gabriel to help secure a clean sheet, the team sheet highlighted a stark contrast between the attacking and defensive depth at Arteta's disposal.

Notably, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus were omitted from the squad for what Arteta called "technical decisions," not fitness issues. The manager conceded that leaving senior players out is becoming a difficult aspect of his job, particularly with Arsenal's demanding schedule.

The situation is entirely different in defence, where injuries have already constrained his choices before the Premier League season has even kicked off.

Arsenal have already been active this summer, with new signings Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis making their competitive debuts against City.

Guimaraes started in midfield alongside Myles Lewis-Skelly, while Tzolis impressed with two assists, continuing his promising start in North London.

With two weeks left until the transfer deadline, Arteta believes the club's business is not yet complete. The dominant win over Manchester City showcased the quality within the squad, but it also underscored a familiar problem: defensive fragility, an issue that has hampered their title challenges in recent seasons.