When Arsenal traveled to the Etihad this past weekend for a season-defining showdown with Manchester City, Mikel Arteta made a call that raised more than a few eyebrows and after the dust settled on a 2-1 defeat, the conversation shifted from the result to the risk.
The Gunners were beaten by Pep Guardiola’s Man City side at the Etihad Stadium who are now possibly the favourites to win the Premier League title.
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Having lead the league table for most of the season, the last few weeks have been concerning for Arteta and his Arsenal side.
Defeats against Bournemouth and Man City have shifted the momentum in the Premier League title race.
Patrick Vieira questioned Arteta’s decision against Man City
Martin Odegaard of Arsenal looks on (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira questioned Arteta’s decision to start Martin Odegaard against City at the Etihad Stadium.
Speaking before kickoff, the Arsenal legend flagged it as a “big gamble,” pointing out that in a game against City, you aren’t just playing the ball, you’re running behind it, closing space, and maintaining extreme levels of intensity.
The legendary midfielder said, as reported by Metro:
‘I don’t know if it’s a gamble or not but I believe that maybe during the last couple of weeks, he did enough in training to show the manager that he deserved to start and the manager can count on him.
‘But for big games like that, I personally believe that it can be a big gamble because they will need a lot of intensity because they’re going to run a lot behind the ball and then, of course, quick decisions.
‘You will need to be really good on the ball and he didn’t play a starting game for quite a while so I’m just scared that will be too much for him today.’
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