Mikel Arteta has provided a concerning injury update on Ethan Nwaneri after the midfielder’s performance in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brighton. Nwaneri made an impressive impact, scoring the opening goal in the first half with a composed finish past Bart Verbruggen.

Despite his strong showing, Arteta substituted Nwaneri at halftime due to an injury, which he described as “really bad news.” The teenager was reportedly dealing with “muscular issues,” prompting the manager to express concern about his condition. Arteta stated, “We had to take him off at half-time with some muscular issues.”

After Nwaneri’s exit, Arsenal appeared less threatening in attack, allowing the Seagulls to regain control of the match. Joao Pedro subsequently won and converted a penalty following a clash of heads with William Saliba, leveling the scores.

Arteta voiced his frustration regarding the penalty decision, saying, “I’ve never seen a decision like this in my career. I asked the boys, and they have never seen anything like it.” He also expressed disappointment that Arsenal did not secure all three points, noting, “We started the game with good actions and a good goal… We gave too many balls away in the second half and we’re very disappointed with the penalty.”