Wayne Rooney believes Mikel Arteta actually showed a ‘huge strength’ of his during Arsenal’s game against Manchester City on Sunday.
Gabriel Martinelli scored a late equaliser to snatch a draw for the Gunners, who struggled to create chances against a resolute City side at the Emirates.
Despite having 67% of the ball, the North Londoners took just 12 shots and didn’t really threaten Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal throughout the 90 minutes.
Mikel Arteta has faced criticism for Arsenal’s impotence in the final third during the encounter, but Rooney provided a more optimistic outlook on the Spaniard’s management on the day.
Wayne Rooney says Mikel Arteta did well to change the game for Arsenal against Man City
Arteta opted to start Mikel Merino in midfield again, much to the dismay of many fans and pundits.
Many felt that deploying the Spaniard alongside Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice in the middle of the park was overly pragmatic, and this proved to be the case in the first half.
However, Arteta changed things at half-time, introducing Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, and these alterations made a difference, as the Gunners ultimately secured a point.
Speaking on the Wayne Rooney Show, the former Manchester United striker highlighted Arteta’s recognition that the game wasn’t unfolding in the that way that he’d have hoped, and praised the manager’s subsequent changes.
“Yeah, well, I think that’s a huge strength to recognise it and change it,” Rooney said.
“So I think sometimes, not every manager in world football, you pick a team and sometimes you get it wrong, whether it’s a player wrong, whether it’s tactically, you get it wrong.
“And maybe he just wasn’t anticipating the way Manchester City were going to play. You’re prepared for something which you feel Manchester City will do. And when they don’t, he’s probably recognised that and changed it and thought, what if they are playing a bit lower, a low block, the likes of [Eberechi] Eze can come on, he’s got that bit of skill and ability to go past a player and create, might give us a better option.
“So, yeah, I think that’s a positive that he has seen and recognised and changed, and obviously they went on to get something from the game.”
Mikel Arteta got his team selection wrong against Manchester City
At Anfield, Arteta selected a similarly conservative starting eleven.
If there’s a place to be conservative, it is ultimately away at the Champions, and the hysteria around this approach on Merseyside was ridiculous.
However, at home to a team that has shown clear defensive deficiencies so far this season, Arteta had to be a bit braver.
Whether that means selecting Eze over Leandro Trossard on the left, or using the England international centrally instead of Merino, a slightly more ambitious approach could have been the difference between one and three points.
Toeing the line between defensive solidity and offensive fluidity is tough, but Arteta is too concerned with control at the present moment.
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