“It’s strange when a player like him asks to come off” – Arteta provides injury update on Arsenal star Declan Rice
Mikel Arteta provided an injury update on Declan Rice after Arsenal's 2-2 Premier League draw against Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates on Sunday (24 September).
The England international apparently suffered a back injury and asked to be substituted against Spurs. He was taken off at half-time, with Jorginho taking his place in front of Arsenal's defense.
The Italian international was directly responsible for Tottenham's second goal, as he was dispossessed in his own half by James Maddison. Spurs' No. 10 made no mistake with his pass to Son Heung-min, who scored his second of the game to seal the 2-2 scoreline.
After the game, Arteta addressed Rice's injury and told reporters (h/t GOAL):
"He had some discomfort in his back and was telling us during the first half he was uncomfortable. Hopefully not [out for long]. We have to assess him. It’s strange when a player like him asks to come off because he’s uncomfortable. Hopefully not, but let’s see."
Rice, 24, was signed from West Ham United this summer for a club-record fee of £105 million. He has since featured in every single game for this new club, including the recent 4-0 drubbing of PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League group-stage opener.
It remains to be seen if Rice will be fit to play for Arsenal in their next game, which is a third-round EFL Cup tie against Brentford on 27 September.
Tottenham star accepts Arsenal's second-half penalty decision
Awarding a penalty in a heated game like the North London derby is bound to generate some amount of controversy.
Romero handled Ben White's shot inside the box after a corner kick in the 50th minute. The shot was from a very close range and the Argentine international didn't have a lot of time to react.
After a long VAR check, the Gunners were awarded a penalty, which Bukayo Saka coolly converted by hitting it straight down the middle. The lead, however, stood for just one minute after Son Heung-min scored to make it 2-2 at the Emirates.
After the game, the South Korean superstar was asked if Spurs agreed with the penalty call, to which he replied, via Sky Sports (h/t BBC):
"Look the referee made a decision, we can't just argue about this decision. We have VAR in this situation. Obviously the derby is an emotional game. It's a decision we accepted and we bounced back really strongly."
Spurs will arguably be the more content side with the result, having trailed the game twice away from home. Both teams have 14 points from six games, with Spurs leading on goal difference.