Mikel Arteta has come under fire for his puzzling substitutions as Arsenal suffered a crushing 1-0 defeat to West Ham, dealing a major blow to their Premier League title aspirations.
With Arsenal desperate for a goal to keep pace with Liverpool, Arteta’s tactical decisions raised eyebrows. Mikel Merino, fresh off an impressive showing against Leicester City, was deployed up front, but the Gunners failed to break down a disciplined West Ham defense.
Their troubles deepened just before halftime when Jarrod Bowen fired the visitors ahead.
As Arsenal searched for a response, Arteta made bold changes, introducing Myles Lewis-Skelly and Oleksandr Zinchenko with 30 minutes left.
However, former England goalkeeper Rob Green questioned the logic behind the substitutions, calling them “strange.”
The switches failed to turn the tide, and Arsenal’s hopes took a further hit when Lewis-Skelly was sent off for a last-man foul on Mohammed Kudus.
With David Raya caught off his line and no defenders covering, the referee ruled that Lewis-Skelly had denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Green expressed his confusion over Arteta’s choices:
“The substitutions didn’t make much sense.
Declan Rice provides a presence in the box with his late runs, Zinchenko adds creativity, but bringing on two left-backs at once? It was an odd decision.
Some Arsenal players just aren’t performing. Leandro Trossard, for example, is struggling. His body positioning when receiving the ball is off, and it’s breaking down Arsenal’s attacks.”
Green also credited West Ham’s organization and defensive discipline:
“They’ve been excellent. The goal, set up by Aaron Wan-Bissaka for Bowen, was well taken. At the other end, West Ham have been compact and tough to break down.
Arsenal needed to be more direct after going down to ten men, but instead, they played short passes and recycled possession strange play at such a crucial moment.”
This latest setback leaves Arsenal trailing Liverpool by eight points, making their title challenge even tougher. Meanwhile, Graham Potter’s West Ham moved level with Manchester United on 30 points, comfortably clear of the relegation battle.
Reacting to the result, former striker Chris Sutton emphasized Arsenal’s missed opportunity:
“This was their chance to close the gap. If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. Arsenal not signing a striker in January could prove costly. Liverpool fans will be thrilled with this result.”
Paul Merson, a legendary Arsenal figure, went even further, declaring Liverpool the outright favorites for the Premier League title after West Ham’s stunning victory at the Emirates.