Everton vs Arsenal | Three Poor Decisions by Arteta That Cost the Game

The Everton vs Arsenal game ended in a 2-1 away defeat for the Gunners. Mikel Arteta’s men have now lost 3 of their last 4 league games and 6 in total. The Toffees have now won three consecutive Premier League games against the Gunners for the first time since 1986, after completing the double over them last season.

Arsenal’s form looked pretty good before the start of December, with 6 wins in 9 Premier League games alongside 2 draws and a single loss against Liverpool. They were 5th on the points table as well with a difference of just 1 point from fourth-placed West Ham. But the defeat against Liverpool and the 3-2 loss at Manchester United last week seems to have unsettled the team.

Now, they have gone down to 7th place and four points adrift of a Champions League spot. Suddenly, Arsenal’s season seems to be in danger, again. And the players, their attitude on the pitch and coach Mikel Arteta’s poor decisions are to be blamed for this drastic turn of events.

Sure, it feels bad to lose the Everton vs Arsenal game, but it’s even more hurtful if we look at Everton’s injury list and their current form. The Gunners should have taken advantage of their poor form and won the game with a handsome margin. But lacklustre performances from midfield and attacking players gave the hosts a way back into the game, which they capitalised and grabbed the full 3 points.

Arteta’s poor decisions against Everton were the prime reasons for their loss at Goodison Park. Players should share the blame too, but they also should get some consideration for their decisions made on the field as those choices are taken at the moment, during live action. However, managers aren’t allowed such excuses. Let’s discuss some of the dreadful decisions Arteta took during the Everton vs Arsenal game.

Team Selection

Fielding the best possible team for any match is always the first and foremost aspect of the game. The team Arteta fielded could have been much better. Tierney returning to the starting lineup was certainly a boost for the defence. It was also good to see Xhaka making an early recovery and return to the first team but, was it a good decision to play him from the beginning as he had just returned from injury.

🚨 TEAM NEWS!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Kieran Tierney comes in
🇨🇭 Granit Xhaka starts!
🇫🇷 Alex Lacazette leads the line#EVEARS

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 6, 2021

Even if Arteta wanted to field Xhaka, he could have gone with Lokonga instead of Partey. The Ghanaian’s current form is dreadful, with the player himself stating concerns. A combination of Xhaka and Lokonga might have been more fruitful in midfield, or at least, could have been a test for the duo. Partey failed miserably and that was a huge letdown for the team. Arteta’s decision to field Partey over Lokonga was questionable.

Substitutions

If the on-field team is not performing as expected or getting dominated by the opponents, proper substitutions and a change in formation and tactics might help inject some life into the team. The Gunners were leading till the 79th min by a goal and there was no attacking intent whatsoever to go for a second goal.

Moreover, Arteta substituted Martinelli out instead of Lacazette and brought in Nketiah despite having better choices on the bench. Another shocking decision was to bring Tavares on for Tierney in the 65th min. Substituting both the important players on the left flank is complete foolishness, especially with most of the positive attacks made by Arsenal coming from the left as Saka was marked well by the opponents.

No Proper Forward

Lacazette’s inclusion in the starting lineup was completely understood, looking at Aubameyang’s poor run in front of goal. But, the Frenchman was playing like a second number 10 for the team. Odegaard, White, Tierney, and Xhaka made some good passes, but couldn’t find the target man in the final third.

Lacazette had the opportunity to shine in the Everton vs Arsenal fixture but failed miserably due to his poor placement. It felt like Aubameyang’s selection would have been more useful, despite the Gabonese forward’s dire goalscoring form this season. However, this decision seems more like the board’s fault, not bringing in a new striker in the summer.

I mean no offence to Everton’s efforts, but Arteta should take responsibility for the loss and hopefully, will be more accurate in future decisions.

Follow AD for the latest Matchday updates on Arsenal.