Mikel Arteta provides Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White fitness update ahead of Arsenal's clash against Brighton

Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the fitness of defenders Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, December 4. The duo have missed several matches this season and Arteta said they are still recovering from injuries.

The Gunners have been hit hard by injuries this csmpaign, and it’s arguably one of the reasons they have struggled to be consistent in the league.

Tomiyasu's time at Arsenal has been marred by recurring injuries. The Japanese defender injured his knee in pre-season. He returned to action on October 5, playing six minutes in Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Southampton.

However, he couldn’t feature in the Gunners' next match as Arteta claimed he is unfit. Tomiyasu hasn’t played for the club since that time. Simply put, he has only played one match for the North London club this season.

Meanwhile, Ben White’s game time has also been disrupted by injuries this season, having suffered injuries on three different occasions. He underwent surgery in November 2024, and Arteta revealed that he will be out for a few months after the procedure.

Ahead of Arsenal’s game with Brighton, Arteta addressed the fitness of both players in the pre-match conference. The Spanish manager claimed that both players are still recovering from their injuries.

''Ben is still a few weeks away. Tomi has done some stuff on the pitch but it was a long-term injury and we need to see how quickly he can progress, and how that knee reacts. But hopefully (he) will be good.’’

Mikel Arteta on the Premier League title race ahead of Arsenal vs Brighton Premier League clash

In the same pre-match conference, Mikel Arteta also talked about what Arsenal need to do to improve their chances of winning the Premier League title this season. The Gunners narrowly missed out on the title in the last two seasons, losing to Manchester City on both ocassions.

Arteta said his side must improve their ‘level of consistency’ if they want to be the league winners at the end of the season.

He said via the club’s website:

''We have to show the same level of consistency and a bit more, because the last year we have been the best team in the league, broken various records and still haven’t won a major trophy, so something is missing. It’s going to be very thin, small details, you can pick up certain games and situations, but at the end, we’re so close and we just have to flip that coin to the other side to make it happen. That’s only going to happen if we do what we have to do and what we can control, the rest is out of our hands.’’

Arsenal are currently second on the Premier League table with 39 points, six points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.