Tim Sherwood feels Mikel Arteta should have told an Arsenal player to ‘stay out the way’ in their Premier League match with Everton at Emirates Stadium this Saturday.
The Gunners welcomed the Toffees to north London this week looking to enhance their truly imperious record at home to the Merseyside club. Since moving in to Emirates Stadium back in 2006, Arsenal have so far only ever lost at home to Everton whilst fans were still kept out.
Everton took a 1-0 win at Arsenal in April 2021 during the two team’s 200th top-flight game. But Sherwood was shocked with how the Goodison Park natives handled the first half as the Blues simply sat back and let Arsenal attack, although without them finding a go-ahead goal.
Jurrien Timber frustrates Tim Sherwood as Arsenal host Everton in the Premier League
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Sherwood even grew frustrated with Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber during the first half of their fixture against Everton this Saturday. He also felt Arsenal manager Arteta ought to have stepped in to get the 23-year-old to play a bit calmer.
Timber annoyed Sherwood with his desire to push forwards to help Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard orchestrate Arsenal’s bid against Everton. But the defender actually caused the Gunners’ advances to fade out rather than help out as Sherwood felt he impeded their stars.
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Sherwood told Sky Sports News (14/12, 15:36): “They’ve got such clever players in Saka and Odegaard. At times, Timber’s going to right-back and he’s closing the space as he’s getting in there too early.
“If I’m Mikel I’m saying to him, ‘Stay out the way, just let these two operate, they’ll open them up’. It’s all Arsenal, Everton are just sitting there waiting to get beat.”
Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard still led Arsenal vs Everton despite Jurrien Timber
Timber was one of Arsenal’s most active players in the first half against Everton having taken the fourth-most touches of any player for either side with 48 and time in possession with an 8.3% share. Saka took 41 touches and Odegaard had 39 but the match stayed level at 0-0.
Most of Arsenal’s chances also came through players operating on their left-hand channel in the first period at Emirates Stadium. No player created more chances than Saka (one), which Odegaard failed to convert, but their other openings came on the opposite side of the pitch.
So, Sherwood may have had a point that Timber’s intentions to replicate what Ben White so regularly has offered Arsenal when fit may have restricted Saka and Odegaard. But Saka and Odegaard also accounted for one and three of Arsenal’s seven shots in the first 45 minutes.
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