ARSENAL goalkeeper Bernd Leno was pictured leaving the Amex on crutches yesterday after suffering a horror injury in the 2-1 defeat to Brighton.
The German was withdrawn in the 40th minute after the wretched incident in which he appeared to twist his knee after claiming a loose ball.
And Evening Standard reporter Simon Collings photographed the German leaving the Amex on crutches.
Leno, 28, was also wearing a knee brace as he departed the scene of the Gunners’ latest miserable defeat.
With Emiliano Martinez deputising between the sticks, Arsenal actually took the lead when Nicolas Pepe curled home a sumptuous finish in the 68th minute.
Lewis Dunk prodded home a scrappy equaliser seven minutes later, before Neal Maupay struck deep into stoppage time to condemn Arsenal to defeat.
The Frenchman was the man in the spotlight, after exchanging verbals with the stricken Leno as the goalkeeper was stretchered off in the first half.
Arsenal’s No1 had been unhappy with the way that Maupay leaned into him as he was going to catch the ball.
Another Gunner incensed by Maupay was his compatriot Matteo Guendouzi, who flicked out at him in the second half, before an altercation erupted at the final whistle.
After the dust had settled, Maupay, 23, tried to deliver some home truths to Arsenal’s players.
He told BT Sport: “Some of Arsenal’s players need to learn humility, maybe sometimes.
“They have been talking a lot first half, second half when they were 1-0 up. They got what they deserved.”
On the injury incident itself, he continued: “I just went for the ball, I am that type of player. I don’t want to stop until the referee blows the whistle. I never meant the injury.
“I apologised at half-time to their staff and their manager. [Mikel Arteta] told me it is football, he saw the video and he knows I did not mean to hurt him. I wish him a speedy recovery.”
The result leaves Arsenal tenth in the table, six points behind fifth-placed Manchester United.
They next travel to Southampton on Thursday night looking to bounce back.
And with Leno set to be out for the foreseeable future, Martinez will have to step into the breach – with Matt Macey likely to deputise on the bench.
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