Bukayo Saka absent, awkward Mykhailo Mudryk moment, former star spotted - Inside the Emirates

Arsenal won their Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk with a narrow one-goal victory on Tuesday evening. After the defeat to Bournemouth and impending suspension for William Saliba, the mood had been very low and needed a lift which the club managed to secure.

With Liverpool on the horizon, many questions remain unanswered, especially in regard to the likes of Jurrien Timber, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard’s status. Arsenal have several key issues to consider before the mega clash.

With that said, football.london were of course Inside the Emirates for the game and bring this week’s edition of the series taking you behind the scenes. From star-struck moments to glimpses at what injury hints we might glean.

Awkward Mykhailo Mudryk

One surprise attendee at the game was Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk. The Ukrainian had of course come very close to joining the Gunners in January of 2023 but their London rivals ended up coming in with significantly more money.

He has struggled during his time in west London and so far failed to realise his potential – what could have been if he was playing week in and week out at the Emirates Stadium… we may never know. He struck an awkward figure as he left the stadium and was courted by many Shakhtar Donetsk fans waiting in the bowels of the Emirates where the media waited for players of both sides to speak to.

He looked for a moment like he was in a hurry to avoid the cameras but made the turn to speak and take photos with the supporters. Naturally, the cameras descended around the 23-year-old before he quickly hurried out and to his transport.

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Starstruck in the best way

Having covered the club for a few years now, I never take for granted the privilege of speaking to the Arsenal players in interviews post-match every couple of weeks. However, you do gain confidence and get used to the process quickly so that the star-struck feeling passes and you can focus on your work.

However, one moment which did catch me off guard was walking into the press lounge at half-time, standing with my mid-game pie and having Lukas Podolski come and sit with his entourage next to us. The German was a big favourite of mine when he made his debut for the club.

His goal in the Champions League against Montpellier will always sit well in my memory. Certainly one of the players who became a fan of the club he played for, Podolski was not sitting with the executives in the upper stands and instead took to the lower west stand with supporters to watch the game – a nice touch.

Bukayo Saka watch

Arsenal have several injury concerns and the joy of standing in the mixed zone is often trying to spot the Gunners’ stars not playing. Often, they walk past and this was indeed the case for Jurrien Timber who looked very comfortable and stood chatting with Dutch media.

However, Saka was not seen at any point. The television cameras spotted him with his family in the stands during the game, the same could be said for Martin Odegaard and Kieran Tierney.

However, none were carefree enough to take a walk through the mixed zone, vulnerable to the watchful eyes of the media. Mikel Arteta will provide an update on the state of the squad in Friday’s press conference.