David Seaman slammed Mikel Arteta’s ‘strange’ decision to sub off captain Martin Odegaard during Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester United and said the quadruple change ‘disrupted’ the Gunners.
Arteta made 4 daring changes after United got here from a goal behind to take the lead in Sunday’s Premier League clash on the Emirates Stadium.
The leaders took a first-half lead through Lisandro Martinez’s own goal but were pegged back before half-time as Bryan Mbeumo capitalised on Martin Zubimendi’s error.
United, who’ve improved greatly under caretaker manager Michael Carrick, turned the sport on its head when Patrick Dorgu smashed home an outstanding goal.
It was shortly after Dorgu’s strike that Arteta decided to ring the changes and convey on Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Mikel Merino and Ben White.
Arsenal skipper Odegaard was certainly one of the players to make way and Seaman believes that was a ‘strange’ decision from Arteta that ‘disrupted the team.
The Gunner did level the match within the 84th minute through second-half substitute Merino but then saw Manchester United go down the opposite end and Matheus Cunha rating an excellent winner.
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Asked about Arteta’s second-half changes, Seaman said on Premier League Productions: ‘I used to be shocked if I’m honest.
‘It was 2-1 on the time, it was almost a knee-jerk response to the second United goal, I don’t know why but it surely brought a little bit of tension into the gang.
‘You’re taking off your captain and he didn’t look very completely satisfied about it. It was an actual surprise for me because he’s our playmaker, to bring him off then modified every part because Declan [Rice] needed to drop back after which Eze is coming on who hasn’t done quite a bit for Arsenal yet.
‘It was a wierd substitution and bringing 4 on as well really disrupts the moment of the team.’
Ex-Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves also disagreed with the choice to take off Odegaard, saying: ‘I used to be surprised as well.
‘I like Eze but Odegaard is the one to select a pass because United were sitting deep. Eze isn’t that player, he’s a dribbler and there was no space in the course of the pitch.
‘Odegaard could’ve picked a pass, it was very telling his body language, he was surprised he was coming off. I don’t think you should take the captain off, you would like his presence.’
Odegaard was certainly one of the Arsenal players to front up after a deflating defeat to Manchester United that leaves the Gunners just 4 points clear within the title race.
‘It was not adequate from us and we’d like a while to analyse it,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘We should always’ve done higher but now’s the time to stay together more, keep working, push one another more and bounce back.
‘First half we were the higher team, we scored a goal and had control but a variety of giveaways. We managed to get to 2-2 but then they scored immediately.
‘It’s never going to be easy on this league, we all know that. I believed we were well prepared for the sport, we began the sport well and within the second we saw the momentum change a bit.
‘The performance definitely should’ve been higher from us and we now have to take the lesson and keep working.
‘Every game is an enormous challenge, this is a component of football. We’re still top of the league so we now have to maintain going and bounce back immediately, that’s the one medicine.’
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