Jurrien Timber has admitted he’s happy to be back playing at the Emirates Stadium after a seven-month absence, and he’s already looking forward to the next game.
Saturday’s game involved a number of firsts, including Riccardo Calafiori and Bruno Guimaraes’ first goals at the Emirates Stadium (with Guimaraes also playing his first competitive Emirates game for Arsenal), and Jurrien Timber was making his first appearance at the ground for a long time.
Timber had played for Arsenal at the Emirates back in March, but the only other appearance he made in the remainder of 2025/26 was in the Champions League final in Budapest.
The defender then made his injury comeback for the Gunners in Sunderland, before making his first start in Brighton. As a result, before he was substituted on against Leeds United, Timber hadn’t played in front of Arsenal’s home support for almost seven months.
“I’m happy to be back,” Timber told beIN SPORTS. “I haven’t been here in like seven months, playing at home. So just positive vibes in the team, the mood is good, and we just need to keep going.
“In two days we have an amazing game again, in the Champions League, in front of our crowd, so really excited.”
Timber also had kind words for manager Mikel Arteta, with the Arsenal boss extending his contract to 2030.
“I don’t even need to explain what he’s done with the club,” Timber said. “He changed it, and he’s not planning to stop soon, so we’ll back him. I’m happy the club extended his contract and a lot of amazing years to come with him. For us, we’re lucky to have him as a coach.”
Arsenal have been able to call upon both Ben White and Timber frustratingly infrequently, with at least one of the two usually out injured. That’s not the case at the moment, with both of them available to feature against Leeds.
White set up the Gunners’ equalising goal, and Timber came on to help inspire the team to go on and win the game, which is exactly what the fans would have wanted to see.
The hope is now that they can both play a big role in the remainder of Arsenal’s October, and that their shared availability can last for as long as possible.
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