"It makes no sense to me" - Pundit questions Mikel Arteta's 'utterly baffling' decision in Arsenal's draw against Everton

ESPN pundit Steve Nicol has questioned Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's decision to take off captain Martin Odegaard in their Premier League draw with Everton on Saturday, December 14. The Spanish tactician hauled off the club captain in the 62nd minute as his side struggled to break down a resolute Everton side.

Norway international Odegaard is a key player for Arsenal, and the Gunners suffered in his absence through injury earlier in the season. The 25-year-old started for the Gunners when they hosted Everton at the Emirates but was ultimately replaced by Ethan Nwaneri.

Speaking on ESPN FC, Nicol questioned the reasoning behind the manager's decision to replace Odegaard with the 17-year-old Nwaneri with over 20 minutes left in the game. He pointed out that taking off the former Real Madrid man meant Arteta chose to sacrifice the creativity he brought to the team, effectively hamstringing his side.

Nicol said:

“I’d love to know what the tactic was. You’ve got to win the game. Regardless of whether you know what’s going on at Anfield or not, it really doesn’t matter. You have to win the game. And in order to win the game, you have to keep your best players on the field and if there was one player in Arsenal’s armoury today that was creating anything, it was [Martin] Odegaard. So, I’m with Craig [Burley], it was totally and utterly baffling that you take arguably, number one, your best player and your captain and you take him off the field so early. It makes no sense to me.”

Mikel Arteta revealed after the game that his decision to take Odegaard out of the game was purely tactical and not injury-enforced. The midfielder attempted three shots in his time on the pitch, making two passes into the final third and completing no crosses.

Arsenal set to offer hefty sum for Premier League star - Reports

Arsenal are prepared to make a big-money signing from the Premier League, with Brazilian striker Joao Pedro on their radar, as per CaughtOffside. The Gunners are willing to splash the cash on the 23-year-old striker from Brighton & Hove Albion, who want €70 million for him.

The former Watford man has scored four goals, including strikes against Manchester United and Manchester City, and provided three assists in nine league appearances this season. The Brazilian is attracting interest from several Premier League sides due to his fine form, including Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester City.

Arsenal are willing to pay between €55 and €65 million to sign the striker, who joined Brighton in the summer of 2023. The Gunners hope the forward can be an upgrade on Gabriel Jesus, whose struggles in front of goal have seen him score just once this season.