Mikel Arteta mistake with Piero Hincapie cost Arsenal dearly against Sunderland

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta made a clear mistake with his lack of substitutions in his side’s draw with Sunderland.

The Gunners endured a tough clash at the Stadium of Light, where Dan Ballard’s opener against his former side broke a resilient defence.

Goals from Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard appeared to seal all three points for Arsenal, but Brian Brobbey’s late acrobatic effort changed that.

It meant Arsenal settled for a draw with Sunderland, one that will sting given the winning run the side had been on.

Perhaps there were small moments that could’ve changed it, such as a VAR call for a penalty that wasn’t given.

Or even the decision from Mikel Arteta to make only one substitution, with a strange call to snub Piero Hincapie in particular.

Mikel Arteta should’ve brought Piero Hincapie on for Arsenal against Sunderland

Arsenal’s lack of substitutions proved costly in the end, as the side fatigued and struggled to press as effectively as they usually do.

The Gunners dropped off and were forced to fend off balls into the box, something they ultimately struggled to contend with.

The one substitution made saw Eberechi Eze come off for Cristhian Mosquera, but that only served to sit Arsenal even deeper.

Arteta’s real mistake came in not bringing Piero Hincapie on.

The Ecuadorian defender has only recently come back into contention, but it’s clear to see that he has all the attributes needed for a game that turned the way it did at Sunderland.

With incredible speed and aggression, Hincapie would’ve been perfect for driving Arsenal forward rather than defending so deep.

His ability to ruffle the feathers of the opposition is also useful, as he knows when and where to play little tricks to help tick the timer down.

In the end, the decision not to use him seems bizarre, particularly considering his recent loan move and potential permanent switch in the coming summer.

That may have cost Arsenal two points in the end, with the defender now having everything to prove when he comes back from international duty.

Piero Hincapie’s slow start at Arsenal so far

Arsenal’s late move for Piero Hincapie in the summer transfer window came as something of a surprise, with a player of his quality being a bonus to the squad.

A groin injury early on in his time at the club meant he played just one minute of action before eventually featuring again in late October and early November.

Most minutes have come as a centre-back, while he is also capable of playing as a left-back.

While Arteta may well have been protecting Hincapie after starting two games in a week, he could have played at least a few minutes against Sunderland to help see things out.

Instead, it marks a slow start to his life at Arsenal so far, but there is plenty more to come as a busy festive fixture list awaits.