Arsenal were chasing the game. They were behind. And then Martin Odegaard was taken off. That was the moment David Seaman couldn’t get past. Mikel Arteta’s decision to replace his captain during the second half against Manchester United became the main talking point after the match. Odegaard went off with Arsenal trailing 2-1. Mikel Merino came on instead. Merino later scored the equaliser. That didn’t fully settle the debate.
A SUBSTITUTION THAT FELT OUT OF STEP
Odegaard doesn’t always dominate games early. That’s not new. Sometimes he grows into them. Sometimes his best moments arrive late, when spaces open and pressure shifts. This was one of those matches where Arsenal needed patience. Control. Someone to keep things ticking while the tempo rose. Instead, Odegaard was walking off before the hour mark. It looked like a statement change. Not tactical fine-tuning. A reset.
ODEGAARD WASN’T AT HIS BEST AND THAT IS NOT UNUSUAL
United made it uncomfortable. The midfield was crowded. Arsenal struggled to find clean lanes through the middle. Odegaard wasn’t pulling strings. But Arsenal fans have seen this pattern before. Quiet spells. Then one touch that changes the game. One pass that breaks the line. Taking him off removed that option entirely. Arteta clearly wanted something different. More physical presence. More urgency. Less structure.
THE GAME DID SHIFT BUT CONTROL WAS LOST
To be fair, Arsenal did lift after the changes. The intensity rose. The crowd responded. The subs brought energy. Merino scoring helped justify the call on paper. A manager will always point to that. One of the replacements delivered. But the shape changed. Declan Rice dropped deeper. Arsenal lost some calm between the lines. Everything became a bit rushed. They were playing moments, not sequences.
SEAMAN COULDN’T SEE THE LOGIC
Seaman didn’t hide his confusion when asked about it on Premier League Productions.
“Taking off your captain – it was a real surprise to me,” he said. “He’s our playmaker. To bring him off at 58 minutes, it changed everything because Declan had to drop back.”
That’s the key part. Not just Odegaard leaving the pitch, but what it forced elsewhere. Seaman also pointed to the number of substitutions made at once. Four changes together. Too much disruption. Too little continuity.
🎙David Seaman on Arteta’s second-half changes…..
🗣"I was shocked, to be honest.
It was 2-1 at the time, and it was almost a knee-jerk reaction to the second United goal. I don't know why, but it brought a bit of tension into the crowd.
You're taking off your captain, and… pic.twitter.com/Jow2pHiErL
— Arsenal Radar (@ArsenalRadar) January 26, 2026
WHY THE TIMING MADE IT WORSE
What made the decision harder to accept was the timing. Arsenal weren’t being overrun. They weren’t out of the game. One goal changed everything, and they were still creating pressure in spells. Taking Odegaard off at that point felt premature, especially with over half an hour left. In those moments, teams usually lean harder on their leaders. Arsenal went the other way.
ARTETA WILL POINT TO THE GOAL BUT QUESTIONS REMAIN
Arteta will argue the change worked. And in isolation, he has a point. Merino scored. Arsenal responded. But football decisions don’t live in isolation. They live in context. Arsenal didn’t go on to win. The control never fully returned. The final push felt frantic rather than measured. The equaliser bought belief, but not clarity, and United always looked capable of surviving the late pressure.
WHY THIS ONE LINGERS
Odegaard isn’t just another midfielder. He’s the organiser. The player Arsenal usually trusts when things feel tight. Taking him off early sends a signal. Whether Arteta meant it that way or not. It also feeds into a wider pattern. Arteta is willing to gamble in big moments. Sometimes it pays off. Sometimes it leaves uncomfortable questions that don’t disappear with one goal.
AUTHOR’S INSIGHT
This felt like a decision driven by impatience. Arsenal needed a goal, but they also needed clarity. Odegaard wasn’t sparkling, but those are often the games where he becomes important late. Seaman’s reaction wasn’t about sentiment. It was about balance. Arsenal gained energy after the change, but they lost their compass. That’s why the substitution still doesn’t sit right.
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