One ‘baffling’ Mikel Arteta decision during Arsenal vs Everton slammed by Liverpool icon

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Arsenal saw their Premier League title hopes take another hit on Saturday as they were held to a goalless draw by Everton.

Mikel Arteta’s side had the chance to gain ground on league leaders Liverpool with a win at the Emirates Stadium, as the Reds stumbled to a draw themselves against Fulham.

However, this opportunity passed Arsenal by. Although they dominated possession and territory against the Toffees, they lacked creativity and cutting edge in the final third. 

Plenty of players have come under fire in the wake of this result, with Arsenal fans taking aim at Gabriel Martinelli, among others. 

However, there has also been criticism levelled at Arteta himself, particularly due to the substitution decisions he made in the match.

• READ MORE: Everything to know on Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard from girlfriend to £65k car

Why Martin Odegaard was substituted during Arsenal vs Everton

In the second half, with his side in increasingly desperate need of a goal, the Spanish coach withdrew club captain Martin Odegaard from the fray. 

After the final whistle, Arteta explained that he substituted Odegaard for tactical reasons, clearly feeling that 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri was better equipped to help his team find a goal at that stage of the game. 

Unfortunately for the manager, his plan didn’t pay off. In hindsight, whilst Odegaard wasn’t having his best game, the decision to remove him from the fray now seems questionable to say the least.

Steve Nicol slams Mikel Arteta over Martin Odegaard decision

As far as former Liverpool star Steve Nicol is concerned, that substitution made no sense at all. 

Speaking on ESPN, he said: “I’d love to know what the tactic was… You’ve got to win the game. Regardless of if you know what’s going on at Anfield or not, it really doesn’t matter. You have to win the game. In order to win the game, you have to keep your best players on the field. 

“If there was one player in Arsenal’s armoury today who was creating anything it was Odegaard. This was totally and utterly baffling that you’d take arguably your best player and your captain off the field so early, it makes no sense to me.”

At his best, Odegaard is arguably Arsenal’s most important player, and he has he capacity to produce moments of magic. The Gunners needed one of those against Everton.