Arsenal were disappointing as they drew 2 2 with their rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a frustrating North London Derby at the Emirates, and a few decisions made by Mikel Arteta are now being questioned.
Arsenal were dealt a blow as winger Leandro Trossard was a surprise absence from the matchday squad, with striker Gabriel Jesus starting in his place on the left wing, and Eddie Nketiah playing through the middle.
Both strikers missed chances, and Nketiah struggled to get a foothold in the game. The Englishman was shown a yellow card for a reckless challenge on goalkeeper Gugliermo Vicario, and it seemed clear that he should have been substituted to try and improve Arsenal’s attacking output.
However, there were a few groans from the Arsenal fans at the Emirates as Jesus was withdrawn instead of the 24-year-old, and this was a surprising decision which ultimately did not pay off.
Jesus should have stayed on
The initial lineup came as a surprise, as Jesus was playing as a winger for the first time in his Arsenal career, and whilst he had some good moments in the game, it was clear that his attacking threat was needed in the middle.
Nketiah did press well off the ball, but on it, he had the fewest touches out of any outfield player, and he failed to keep possession in the final third.
His yellow card meant that he could no longer press with the same intensity, and moving Jesus central could have unlocked Arsenal’s struggling attack. Instead, the Brazilian was withdrawn, as Nketiah played 90 minutes.
The 24-year-old has started the season well, but it was a bad day at the office for him, and Arteta’s decision to leave him on backfired as the Gunners could not find the winning goal.
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