Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard has outlined the uncertainty around his recovery after the medial collateral ligament diagnosis that followed knee-to-knee contact in the West Ham game. Faced with reports he would be sidelined until at least the second half of November, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta accepted that he would be without his skipper for “a few weeks.”

Ødegaard declined to offer a firm return date, asking for patience while describing the practical difficulties of rehabilitating his stronger limb. “It’s tricky to set a return date with this type of injury because, especially it being my [stronger] left leg, a lot depends on how it goes when I start getting back on the pitch,” Ødegaard wrote in Arsenal’s programme ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League thumping of Atlético Madrid.

He explained the day-to-day challenge of testing the leg under match actions. “Sometimes it can be quite sore when you start passing the ball and shooting and all these things with that leg, so it’s really hard to say a date. All I can say is I’m progressing really well at the moment. I think we will know more when I start getting back on the training pitches and we’ll see how that goes. If that goes really well then it can be quick.”

On the grind of recovery he was candid. “It’s hard work and long days in recovery, but that’s what you want and I feel like it’s going well so far,” Ødegaard continued. “I feel like I’ve been really unlucky a few times this season.

“It was a knee-to-knee contact in the West Ham game, and at the time I didn’t know if it was bad or not because they can be quite painful, but normally you can run it off. So that’s why I tried to keep going, to see if it was getting better.” Arsenal would later diagnose Ødegaard with medial collateral ligament damage.

“I was hoping it was just a knock that would improve in a couple of minutes,” he recalled. “But it didn’t get better and I felt like something was wrong, so in the end it was better to come off. As soon as we got inside, the medical team had a proper look at it. When the adrenaline stopped flowing and it settled down a bit, then it was quite sore.”

Arsenal have recorded four wins in the five matches Ødegaard has missed. The club’s recent victory over Atlético required a set piece to break a goalless first half, and without the creativity from his compromised left leg Arsenal have struggled to produce a consistent flow of chances not originating from corners.

Mikel Arteta refused to let external storylines dictate Arsenal’s mood after a run of results elsewhere in the Premier League. He acknowledged the “narrative” around Liverpool’s four straight defeats but insisted his squad have shown no obvious change in demeanour following their recent win over Fulham.

The manager stressed the context of Arsenal’s recent victories, noting they have come against sides that took points from his team last season, which only adds to their value. Still, Arteta is careful about reading too much into an autumn run of form and wants standards to remain the determining factor.

Ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Atlético Madrid on Tuesday night, with two days to let Saturday’s victory over Fulham settle, Arteta was asked whether his players had an extra spring in their step. “I haven’t noticed that,” he assured assembled reporters, “but obviously, there is a lot of narrative afterwards.

“But that’s it,” Arteta continued, “every game in this league is a must-win and a very difficult game to win, and we’re all very appreciative of that, so you don’t get carried away with any of that.”

Arteta drew on recent title history to underline how fragile leads can be. Arsenal spent 248 days in first place during the 2022–23 campaign yet still finished second to Manchester City, and they finished second again at the end of 2023–24 despite leading the league with just a fortnight to play.

He also refused to be distracted by comparisons with last season, observing that there was a larger gap up to Liverpool last term and that Slot’s side are “far from the polished machine of last year,” yet he remained stoic.

“The only thing that I embrace is when I see the team, the energy, the temperature, the commitment and the quality that they can deliver, that it gives me that conviction that we can go all the way,” he fired back at a press pack eager for a foolhardy declaration of triumph. “But that’s it, that’s just a feeling that the next day you have to prove it, the next training session you have to prove it and nothing else, and we cannot be busy thinking about those topics.”

Alexander Isak’s introduction to Liverpool was delayed after a summer mutiny that disrupted his preseason and postponed his start. Questions over his debut persisted, intensified by the club’s cautious approach while Hugo Ekitiké enjoyed a bright opening on Merseyside. The manager hinted at minutes for Isak and then made a decisive call on his 47th birthday by naming the club’s record signing in the starting XI for Atlético Madrid’s visit.

The £130 million ($176 million) man replaced Hugo Ekitiké up top, becoming only the second Swede to represent the club after Glenn Hysén, who played between 1989 and 1992 and had cost the Reds £600,000 from Fiorentina. Isak watched the early fireworks as Mohamed Salah put the hosts 2–0 up inside six minutes, limiting the striker’s initial chances to take in his new surroundings.

Isak’s influence grew toward the end of the first half. He tended to drift to the left flank and produced his tidiest work from the half-space. His sumptuous half-turn receptions created a pair of shooting opportunities, one of which tested Jan Oblak. Those two chances lifted Isak and he followed with subtle touches that contributed to Liverpool moves. It looked as if he will enjoy operating close to Florian Wirtz, who continues to dazzle in moments but has yet to deliver a full statement 90 minutes at his new home.

Isak did not look short of match fitness and continued after the break, but Slot chose to withdraw him after 55 minutes with Liverpool 2–1 up. The match turned chaotic after his departure when Marcos Llorente haunted Liverpool again at Anfield with a brace that levelled the tie. Liverpool’s habit of late decisive actions carried over to this contest as Virgil van Dijk’s emphatic header secured victory, ensuring Isak’s era began with a win.