%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Arsenal are in a bit of a pickle at the moment. They have not won or lost the league title yet, nor have they dropped off so significantly that they don't look like themselves anymore.
There is a little bit of a drop-off, but that is fully recoverable, and the way they have bounced back from that drop-off against Club Brugge should give Arsenal plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the rest of the season.
One big reason for that is also the fitness of certain top players in the last few weeks. William Saliba, Gabriel, Kai Havertz, and so many others have missed substantial game time in the last few weeks, and it is obviously a big, big test for anyone who takes their place in the lineup.
It is also a huge ask for the team entirely, as they are missing such huge parts of their build-up and defense in Saliba's absence, that there is no way the team can play at their absolute best either way.
That is not an excuse for a slight drop-off in form, because they have made some really good signings this season, but Saliba is a huge miss, and no one can say otherwise.
What Mikel Arteta wouldn’t say about William Saliba’s fitness
Manager Mikel Arteta was asked about an injury update on Saliba as well, and he did not really give away too much detail about his availability for the game against Wolves on Saturday night.
He said on Friday: "We have to wait and see. Yesterday we didn’t train, so we have an extra day between this afternoon, let’s see if he can be available or not. It remains the same. If you asked me for the Everton game, I think he will be fit; for tomorrow, I don’t know."
He would not say anything about Saliba's fitness ahead of the game against Wolves, but it is clear that the player is very close to making a return.
Arsenal face Everton just a few days after playing Wolves, and if he will be ready for that game, it shows that there is not long left for one of their best central defenders to come back.
Arteta, however, is not really giving away anything on the game against Wolves. He says he does not know whether he will play or not, but it still gives him a fighting chance to at least be on the bench if he recovers well in time.
The best idea would be to not risk him, especially for a game in which Arsenal are overwhelming favorites to win.