Mikel Arteta has faced criticism for his substitutions during the 0-0 draw with Everton. Yes, an injury scare saw him sub off Declan Rice, but why did he take off Martin Ødegaard?
Why did he not play Thomas Partey at midfield? Even after the criticisms, why did he play the Ghanaian international at right back and shift Timber to left back when Kieran Tierney could have easily replaced Myles Lewis Skelly?
Yesterday, Arsenal’s substitutions were just frustrating; that’s why I get ESPN pundit Craig Burley’s point when he asks why Kai Havertz wasn’t subbed off. Havertz has not been performing at his best in recent games. For Burley, if there was someone Arteta should have taken off, it had to be the German forward. He expressed his frustration that Havertz’s poor performance did not lead to his substitution.
The 24-year-old should have been spearheading the attack, but he highlights his lack of significant contributions in the final third. Yes, Arteta moved him to midfield in the last few minutes, but having Havertz in midfield wouldn’t have changed the result against Everton or Fulham.
Martin Odegaard of Arsenal interacts with teammate Ethan Nwaneri as he comes on as a substitute during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC
Martin Odegaard of Arsenal interacts with teammate Ethan Nwaneri as he comes on as a substitute during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Burley said: “I found his [Arteta’s] changes really, really baffling. Also, he’s talking about goals; it’s my favourite subject, the one guy he didn’t take off, and once again he was a passenger, was Kai Havertz.
“It’s almost every game, we sit here and say ‘what did he do?’ Yeah, he ran about, he closed down, he won a couple of headers. He didn’t do anything of any note in or around the penalty area.
“The one man that stays on the field has the least impact of anybody, and that’s the front man Kai Havertz. It’s a problem.”
Havertz can’t continue being a passenger in this team.Ultimately, if the team can improve without Havertz leading the way, then Arteta must take decisive action. Right now all the pressure is on Arteta; there are even some who question if he’s bold enough to sign a top striker.
Liverpool has dropped four points in their last two games, while Manchester City had yet another defeat. However, even when the title presents itself, we are unable to seize it due to our lacking firepower to defeat teams such as Fulham and Everton.
Liverpool’s firepower, with just 10 men, stepped up and helped them secure a point in their match against Fulham, and they are TOP of the Champions League, perhaps Arsenal need more firepower like that?
Daniel O
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