Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Defends Decision to Bench Eddie Nketiah in FA Cup Defeat to Liverpool
In a surprising move, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta defended his decision to bench Eddie Nketiah in the Gunners’ recent FA Cup third round defeat to Liverpool. The match ended in a 2-0 victory for Liverpool, thanks to two late goals.
During the first half, Arsenal dominated the game and had several opportunities to score. However, their finishing in attack was lacking, which has been a recurring issue for the team. With Gabriel Jesus injured, Nketiah was expected to start but was overlooked in favor of Kai Havertz, who failed to make an impact with his finishing.
Arteta defended his decision by stating that his tactics, which involved pressing Liverpool’s makeshift back four, worked because of his choice to start Havertz. He believed that Havertz would be able to take advantage of the situation but acknowledged that Liverpool gained control of the game by the time Nketiah was brought on.
Despite the defeat, Arsenal is still interested in signing a new center forward this month. However, financial constraints may limit their options, as their top target Ivan Toney is valued at £100m by Brentford.
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