Record signing set to miss Arsenal clash as champions prepare for revenge fixture
Habib Diarra will miss Sunderland vs Arsenal
Arsenal have been handed a major advantage with regard to their upcoming Premier League clash with Sunderland AFC, given record-signing, Habib Diarra, will be unavailable for the clash.
The Gunners have a busy week ahead of them following Sunday's London derby with Chelsea on Sunday, September 6.
Mikel Arteta's men will first travel to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for their first group stage encounter of the Champions League on Wednesday, September 9, where they will face Massimiliano Allegri's Napoli.
They then direct their attention straight back to domestic duties, travelling to Wearside on Saturday, September 12 to do battle with the Black Cats..
It's a game in which Arteta will be desperate to exact revenge on the North East titans, given the dramatic fashion in which last season's away clash played out.
Hale End graduate Dan Ballard came back to bite his former club by opening the scoring for Regis Le Bris' first-team in the first-half, before Arsenal looked to pour water on the then Premier League new boys' hopes and dreams after the break.
Bukayo Saka drew level for the Gunners less than 10 minutes after the restart, before Leandro Trossard scored a beauty from the edge of Robin Roefs' area to give the visitors the lead for the first time.
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While Arsenal looked to close out the match and return to North London with all three points, Brian Brobbey ultimately had other plans.
The Dutchman showed an air of acrobatics as he poked home from close range with a bicycle kick, Sunderland raining on the Gunners' parade.
Around 10 months on, Arsenal will look to see the job through at the Stadium of Light this time round, and are in a brilliant place to do so considering injury hampering Le Bris' side.
Diarra, who joined the Black Cats in a club-record £30million move from Strasbourg last summer, lasted less than 20 minutes during Sunderland's 1-0 win over Fulham at the weekend,, having emerged as a second-half substitute.
The Senegalese talent provided an assist for Wilson Isidor's winning goal, before pulling up and clutching at upper leg shortly after, replaced by Chris Rigg.
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And now, Le Bris has confirmed that the 22-year-old faces six to eight weeks out of action as a result of a hamstring issue.
It will be welcome news to Arsenal fans, considering Sunderland's club record signing will have to watch from the wings against the defending Premier League champions, who are currently in form by all accounts.
Arsenal kickstarted their campaign last month with a 3-0 welcoming of Coventry City, before battling to a 1-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend.
With hopes of lifting the Premier League title once more in May, the Gunners will be determined to learn from last year's mistakes at the Stadium of Light.
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