Former Arsenal striker Theo Walcott wonders if Mikel Arteta trusts safe players after his reluctance to make substitutions in Wednesday night’s defeat to FC Porto.
The Gunners went into the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 as favourites to advance, but they were far from their place in Portugal. And now they have everything to do if they want to qualify for the quarterfinals of the festival after a final. A goal from Galeno gave Porto a one-goal lead heading into next month’s second leg.
Despite a lackluster performance, Arteta opted to make adjustments and only brought Jorginho off the bench, with the Italian playmaker given the green light to upgrade Leandro Trossard in the 76th minute in a bid to close the deal.
And Walcott, who was analysing the game for BBC Radio Five Live, warned that the lack of adjustments could simply mean that the Spaniard doesn’t quite accept the truth with some of his players.
He said: “I don’t forget being in that position before and being replaced as a striker. Martinelli, for example, may be tired, he’s been running very hard, following his full-back a lot tonight. Of course he does, he passes lazily, he loses the ball [for Porto’s goal], but then I have to wonder the intensity of the Arsenal team at the start of the match: Does Mikel accept the players as loyal?
“He only brought in a substitute tonight and I feel like it could have been a game where we were absolutely ready, maybe just slowing it down even more and taking out some players, clearly [Bukayo] Saka. “And so effective tonight.
“I’m sure it will be completely different in the Emirates, but as a coach you should make more substitutions knowing that the game is stagnant. “
He continued: “It’s a tricky question because at Arsenal, obviously, Mikel has a tendency to play against the same team, you know who’s going to play, the same kind of substitutes come in, but yes, maybe the lack of fun in the Champions League with some of the players [have played a role].
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“But you have [Mohamed] Elneny, who is part of the club and is the longest-serving player for a long time, he’s in the game and he knows how to stop it. Jorginho, of course, arrives and has enough experience.
“It’s all due to the fact that [Gabriel] Martinelli was tired, that’s what happens, but I also have to question the position of the goalkeeper. I think sometimes he does it brilliantly, but I think you can question some of the positions. “
Arsenal host Porto in the second leg next month and Walcott is convinced Arteta’s men will turn things around to qualify. He added: “These matches are not won in one set. I’ve been on this stage before and I’ve come to a position like this. And you didn’t get the result you were looking for or controlled to score an away game. Objective, evidently does not take this step into account.
“But I’m still confident that Arsenal, with internal help in particular, as the Emirates are at the moment, will be able to get away with it comfortably, to be honest, in fact, I think so. I don’t think so. It’s going to be as close as that tonight. I think it will be more open.
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