Mikel Arteta admitted that his decision after Ben White went off injured against West Ham didn’t “really work out”. Arsenal clinched a vital 1-0 win at the London Stadium on Sunday after an injury-time equaliser was ruled out by VAR – and the Gunners overcame a difficult tactical conundrum.
Leandro Trossard’s deflected strike was the difference between the two sides after Callum Wilson’s 95th-minute equaliser was chalked off following a VAR review. It was a tight game in east London, partly down to Arteta’s own decisions.
White was unable to continue following a tackle with Crysencio Summerville in the first half, prompting Arteta to bring on Martin Zubimendi for the right-back. He moved Declan Rice to right-back until half-time, when Arteta replaced left-back Riccardo Calafiori with Cristhian Mosquera, reshuffling the side again.
Mosquera went to right-back and Myles Lewis-Skelly from midfield to left-back, with Rice returning to midfield. Then, midway through the second half, Arteta replaced substitute Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze with Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page
Speaking after the game, Arteta hinted that his initial decision to send Rice to right-back was a mistake that cost him a substitution and that he needed to rectify later in the game.
“We were so dominant through what we wanted to do and bringing on Mosquera was going to give us something different so I went for Declan and in that moment – and I don’t know if it’s because of the position – there were two actions where we suffered a little bit on that side,” he told Sky Sports.
“We had the opportunity at half-time because Ricky has to come off as well, which is painful, to make another change. We do it and, at some point, I had the feeling that we had to change the game. We need two players in those pockets that are proper attacking midfielders. We went for it and we got rewarded.”
View 2 ImagesBen White limped off midway through the first half(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
In a different interview with Match of the Day, Arteta said: “I think we started the game so well. We created three big chances but didn’t manage to score the goal, then Ben White’s injury comes in and we have to adjust that.
“It doesn’t really work out and half-time we have to change Calafiori as well, another change, so it’s not ideal. But I think we showed a lot of courage with the changes and the personal that we bring. I think we got rewarded because Martin made an incredible action to win us the game, apart from David’s save in the 70th minute [to keep out Mateus Fernandes].”
Arteta also addressed the VAR decision to rule out Wilson’s goal for a foul by Pablo on David Raya. “In the end, this is the beauty of the Premier League,” he said. “In all this chaos and with the keeper in your box, they managed to score. The referee and the VAR today had a lot of courage to stop and analyse the action and give the opportunity to the referee to make the call.
Article continues below
“I think nobody would disagree that it is a clear foul because David has the ball almost in his hands and they don’t allow him to do that and they take advantage to score the goal.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV packageThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
£44SkyGet the deal here
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.