Arsenal kept their Premier League title hopes alive with a hard-fought victory at West Ham, but the win came at a significant cost as key defender Ben White left the London Stadium with his knee in a brace, and manager Mikel Arteta confirmed Riccardo Calafiori also picked up an injury.

The Gunners started brightly against the Hammers, but everything changed when White awkwardly jarred his knee in a challenge. In a move that left fans scratching their heads, Arteta opted not to bring on Cristhian Mosquera as a like-for-like replacement. Instead, he deployed a tactical puzzle by shifting Declan Rice to right-back and introducing Martin Zubimendi to partner Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield. It was a gamble that backfired, leaving Arsenal disjointed and struggling to find their rhythm.

By halftime, Arteta recognized his error. But his attempt to fix it—subbing off Calafiori and moving Lewis-Skelly to right-back—only created more problems. It robbed the team of Lewis-Skelly's energy in midfield and removed Calafiori's commanding presence, which had been keeping West Ham's Jarod Bowen in check. After the match, Arteta revealed Calafiori was also carrying an injury, forcing the change.

Desperate for a solution, Arteta turned to Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, both of whom are clearly still working their way back to full fitness. But it was a masterstroke. Odegaard, with his trademark composure and vision, unlocked the West Ham defense, setting up Leandro Trossard for his first goal in what felt like an eternity. The timing was perfect—Odegaard dropped to his knees in relief as the ball hit the back of the net, and Arsenal regained control of their title destiny.

However, the mood was tempered by White's injury. The defender was seen leaving the stadium with his knee heavily strapped, his frustration evident as he was helped off the pitch earlier. When asked about White's condition, Arteta didn't mince words: "We don't know, but it does not look good at all." As for Calafiori, he added, "After halftime, we had to make another change with Richy," confirming the Italian's injury.

For Arsenal, the victory was crucial, but the mounting injury list—especially in defense—raises serious questions about their depth as the title race heats up. Fans will be anxiously awaiting updates on both players.