Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed his decision to withdraw Martin Odegaard Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Everton it was purely tactical, but Declan Rice had to leave the game due to injury.
In a sluggish and lethargic performance, Arteta made the surprise decision to replace both Odegaard and Rice on the hour mark, with Jorginho and youngster Ethan Nwaneri replacing the superstar duo.
The view of Arsenal’The creator-in-chief’s exit from the pitch raised eyebrows among fans, and Arteta has admitted he felt Nwaneri had the potential to offer something different to the Gunners captain.
“I understand (the surprise),” admitted Arteta. “If Ethan comes in and scores a goal, it’s a big goal. If he doesn’t, you’ve got your captain out. That’s football.
“I’m sure they wanted to play 90 minutes, but that’s why we have the substitutes, to try and help the team.”
Rice, however, complained of a possible injury shortly before his exit from the game.
“With Declan I had to take him off because I felt something,” Arteta said. “With Martin it was a tactical decision to try to change his pace on that side.
“(Rice) has been in a little trouble for the last week or so. He asked to be substituted at that time, so we have to do it.”
