Arsenal believe that they would have won against Aston Villa had Gabriel and William Saliba played

Arsenal suffered their second Premier League defeat of 2025-26 against Aston Villa on Saturday, and the Gunners now have just a two-point lead at the top of the table.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and his men lost 2-1 to the Midlands club, but a sense of calm still reigns within the club at the Emirates Stadium, according to independent journalist Miguel Delaney.

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He told his twice-weekly ‘Inside Football’ newsletter today that the Gunners felt the performance was good and a victory would have been assured if Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba had been in the team.

Arsenal’s central defenders are injured and Arteta was also without Spanish defender Cristhian Mosquera for the trip to Villa Park.

The Gunners deployed Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber in central defense, and while the duo made no mistake, they are not as influential as Saliba and Gabriel.

The Brazilian and Frenchman are Arsenal’s first-choice centre-back duo for a reason, and they are two of the best in their position as they pose constant threats on both ends of the pitch.

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Saliba has missed the last three league matches, while Gabriel has missed the last four league matches and could be out until January after a knock during the last international break.

The Brazilian injured his adductor muscles during a friendly match against Senegal on November 15.

Fortunately for Arsenal, the France international is expected to return to action this month after suffering an unspecified knock in training shortly before the Chelsea game.

The Gunners are back in action on Wednesday with a trip to Belgium to face Club Brugge before resuming their Premier League campaign on Saturday with a home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Saliba could be available for the midweek trip, and Arteta will hope that Gabriel also returns sooner rather than later, as Arsenal could do with the duo at the moment.