Mikel Arteta played with fire against Bayern Munich, and thankfully, it resulted in setting the Emirates alight.
Arsenal are the only unbeaten side remaining in the Champions League, sitting top of the table as Europe’s team to beat.
Arteta would’ve loved what he saw from his players against Vincent Kompany’s side, who arrived having not lost all season.
While Arsenal blew Bayern Munich away with the 3-1 win, there was one moment of the game that could’ve proven to be costly.
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Bukayo Saka’s substitution against Bayern Munich was a risk that paid off for Mikel Arteta
Many were surprised to see Bukayo Saka’s number go up in the 68th minute when Arsenal were in need of a goal.
With the scoreline sitting at 1-1, Arteta made the decision to withdraw the winger, replacing him with Gabriel Martinelli.
The Arsenal manager made a questionable call, as Saka was one of the Gunners’ biggest threats when he was on the pitch, creating four chances before he was taken off.
Arteta made the call with a plan in mind, and to the boss’s delight, it only took one minute for his idea to come to fruition.
One minute after Martinelli headed to the left so Noni Madueke could replace Saka on the right, the England international scored.
Nine minutes later, Arteta’s substitution proved to be even more of a success, as Martinelli then got himself on the score sheet.
Arsenal’s squad depth is on another level, and the two second-half goals against Bayern proved that, but it wasn’t only the goalscorers who proved Saka’s substitution to be worthwhile.
Saka will be raring to go against Chelsea
Fixtures are coming thick and fast for Arsenal, and blockbuster ones at that.
Within the space of a week, the Gunners will have faced Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, making the need for preservation greater than ever.
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By taking Saka off early against Bayern, Arteta gave his star player additional time to recover ahead of facing Chelsea on Sunday, a game that Arsenal need their number seven in.
In his 11 career appearances against Chelsea, Saka has contributed to five goals, three of which happened at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal need a win to keep a distance between themselves and their London rivals, making Saka’s readiness for the fixture paramount.
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