Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta criticized the replacement of Martin Odegaard

Mikel Arteta, coach of Arsenal has been criticized for some strange substitutions during the frustrating 0-0 draw with Everton at the weekend.

The Spanish tactician will no doubt have been disappointed to drop the three points in the type of game the Gunners really should have won, but it may not have helped that he took out his captain Martin Odegaard.

ESPN FC pundit Craig Burley thought it was “strange” of Arteta to take Odegaard off when the Norway international linked up so well with Bukayo Saka to provide the game’s only real spark.

Liverpool expected to win race for Arsenal’s €50m target!

Speaking in the video below, Burley commented that Arsenal looked quite out of sorts with the threat of Odegaard and Saka not being matched by Martinelli at the other end…

Perhaps it makes sense that Burley was unimpressed with Arteta making a change by removing Odegaard when he was already a challenge to break down Everton anyway.

The 25-year-old is a world-class creative player and a huge part of this Arsenal team, so the north London giants would certainly do well to use him as much as possible, since they currently have no alternative.

Perhaps a concern, however, is how Arsenal rely on Odegaard and Saka to provide all the magic in attack, with others like Martinelli not really performing well enough for some time.

Can Arsenal still win the Premier League this season?

Arsenal are clearly not out of the title race just yet, but they have made things very difficult with too many draws at this stage of the season.

One imagines there will be many inside the Emirates Stadium bragging that this fall has come just as Manchester City have finally fallen, just because Liverpool and Chelsea are coming back so strongly.

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Arsenal had a much stronger second half of the season than the first, so there may still be some twists and turns yet in this title race.