Arsenal handed huge Premier League title race boost as Erling Haaland suffers major injury blow
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland’s withdrawal from the national squad due to a groin injury is a significant boost for Arsenal in their bid for the Premier League title.
Haaland, who has scored an impressive 42 goals in 37 games across all competitions this season for Manchester City, was signed by the club from Borussia Dortmund for £51 million last summer and has been a key player for them.Â
He is currently leading the golden boot race with 28 goals in just 26 games for City, who are trailing Arsenal by eight points despite having a game in hand.
While Haaland has been dominant in scoring for City, Arsenal’s attackers, including Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Odegaard, have all scored double digits this season.
According to the Norwegian Football Association, Haaland has been ruled out of Norway’s upcoming friendly matches against Spain and Georgia due to a groin injury.
A statement from the Norwegian Football Federation read: “Erling Braut Haaland had some pain in his groin after the match against Burnley.
“We hoped that this was just a familiarity that would carry over to Saturday. After doing tests and examinations yesterday it became clear that he will not make it to the games against Spain and Georgia.
“It is better that he receives medical follow-up at the club”, says national team doctor Ola Sand.
“Haaland thus travels home from the national team meeting. Erling took it hard when he realized that he could not fight for the team.
“Fortunately, there is still plenty of self-confidence, talent and cohesion in this group to win points in the next matches.” Norway manager Stale Solbakken added: “We are not going to hang on one millimeter, but continue our work to be maximally prepared for Saturday and Tuesday.”
The duration of Haaland’s absence due to his groin injury is yet to be determined. However, there is a possibility that he may miss Manchester City’s important match against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on April 1.
This absence could potentially result in City dropping points without their leading scorer and potentially allow Arsenal to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table as they strive for their first title since 2004.
Arsenal handed huge Premier League title race boost as Erling Haaland suffers major injury blow
