Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta sprung a surprise ahead of the Gunners’ victory over Everton at Goodison Park and suggested David Raya’s performance could lead him to make a radical decision
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Mikel Arteta reviews Everton
Mikel Arteta offered a bizarre defence of his selection policy, after dropping his number one keeper Aaron Ramsdale at Everton.
His replacement, summer loan signing David Raya, had only one save to make as Arsenal dominated at Goodison Park, and won through a fine finish from substitute Leandro Trossard. But afterwards, the Gunners boss insisted there was no controversy in dropping England keeper Ramsdale, and even suggested he could soon be substituting his keepers DURING matches.
Asked why he chose to make the change in goal, he said: “The same rationale about why Fabio Vieira played here, or Eddie Nketiah or Gabriel Jesus. I haven’t had a single question on why Gabriel Jesus didn’t start.
“He has won more trophies than anybody else, including me, in that dressing room. I cannot have two players in each position and not play them. David has tremendous qualities, like Aaron has, and we have to use them.”
Arteta then revealed that one of the biggest regrets of his short managerial career so far, is that he wasn’t brave enough to substitute his keeper during a game.
“I am a really young manager and I have only been in the job for three and a half years and I have few regrets in what we have done,” he explained.
David Raya earned a clean sheet on his Arsenal debut (
Image:
Getty Images)
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“One of them is that on two occasions I felt after 60 minutes and 85 minutes in two games in this period to change the keeper in that moment and I didn’t do it. I didn’t have the courage to do it. And we drew those games and I was so unhappy and someone is going to do it (soon) and maybe it [the reaction] will be, ‘oh! That is strange. Why?’
“Why not? Tell me why not. You have all the qualities in another goalkeeper and you want to do something to change the momentum, do it. It is a regret that I have and my feeling is to get everyone engaged in the team. They have to play regardless of the competition. Do it. That is my message.”
While Arteta was pleased with the character of his side as they produced their first win at Goodison Park in five years, Everton boss Sean Dyche was scathing about his side’s lack of quality in the match.
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“Defensively the players put a shift in, but in transition there were so many loose passes, and our decision making was so poor. The idea of being brave with the ball just wasn’t there today,” he said.
“I spoke clearly at the end of last season and said there is still massive work to be done. That is the case - we’re frustrated because you can’t give the ball away that many times. It’s the details, we had to tune into the game better. You can see it - people reading situations and delivering the details.
“We want to do better, build from the back better, there weren’t any signs of that. It’s our responsibility to change this story, it’s our responsibility to change these stats and facts.”
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