The worrying part of Piero Hincapié's afternoon against Leeds came after the 2-1 win was over. He'd replaced Riccardo Calafiori in the 82nd minute, then joined the substitutes and unused players for a small-sided game during the warm down. Video from that session shows him in some distress and being carried by teammates. Arsenal are sweating over his fitness, according to Arseblog News. A defender seen in distress and carried by teammates during the warm down has to be in doubt for Lille at the Emirates on 13 October.
Arsenal made his move from Bayer Leverkusen permanent on 1 July for £34.5m, after a 2025–26 loan in which he played 39 times. This season he has five appearances, and the three in the Premier League all came off the bench. So losing him for a while would thin the squad without changing the side, because Calafiori is the one in possession and he scored the equaliser against Leeds on his way to Man of the Match.
The cover is fine for one night. The same report puts forward Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly as the alternatives, the younger man because Arsenal are well stocked in midfield. The trouble comes if this lasts beyond Lille, because Nottingham Forest away follows on 18 October. Mikel Arteta meets the press today, and his answer on Hincapié is the one that counts before Lille.
Bruno Guimarães, who turned Declan Rice's flick into the winner, said "it feels unbelievable to score" in what he called his first official game at home.
Josh Smith's U18s have now won four straight, edging Birmingham City 3-2 in the Premier League Cup on home turf. Jaden Maghoma converted two penalties and defender Abraham Owusu-Gyasi got the other. The U21s are still waiting for a league win after a 2-2 home draw with Sunderland, whose Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi scored twice. James Scanlon scored for Arsenal, and Andre Harriman-Annous rescued the point late after substitute Teshaun Murisa set him up. Sunderland finished with ten men because Ajibola Alese was sent off for a second booking. Marli Salmon captained the side for almost an hour on his return from injury. That matters more at this level than the result does, and so does 16-year-old Emerson Nwaneri starting on the right and having some good moments.
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