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Gary Lineker has accused Mikel Arteta of employing considered one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s most infamous tactics so as to win the Premier League title.
The Gunners are odds-on favourites to be crowned champions of England for the primary time since 2004 after opening up a nine-point advantage at the highest of the table.
Arteta will, nevertheless, be taking absolutely nothing without any consideration with seven games remaining and his side received something of a wake-up call prior to the international break with a Carabao Cup final defeat reminding them of Manchester City’s capabilities.
Pep Guardiola’s side still have a game in-hand and host the present leaders on the Etihad Stadium in three week’s time when they are going to hope to chop the result in at the very least three points.
Given the workload his squad has already undertaken and the arduous schedule ahead, it has come as little surprise to see so many Arsenal players pull out of their respective international squads over the course of the past week.
Martin Zubimendi and Piero Hincapie confirmed their intentions to return to London Colney ahead of schedule on Sunday, taking the whole variety of players who’ve pulled out to 10.
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Quite how injured the walking wounded are stays to be seen but Lineker suspects we’ll see a good few recovering in time for Arsenal’s FA Cup tie against Southampton this weekend.
‘Interestingly a few Arsenal players have pulled out of this squad now. Each Saka and Declan Rice have gone,’ Lineker told his The Rest is Football podcast.
‘They joined people like Saliba and Gabriel and one or two other players. I feel Arteta is playing a Sir Alex role here.’
Lineker was, in fact, making reference to the previous Manchester United manager who would often pressure his players, specifically Ryan Giggs, into missing friendly matches for his or her countries.
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‘All managers have done that but generally it’s right down to the players,’ Lineker added.
‘The manager would all the time pressure you to tug out of friendlies specifically. It happened to me a few times and on each occasions I said no likelihood.’
Given the timing of this latest round of friendlies and World Cup play-offs, Lineker’s fellow presenter Alan Shearer conceded it was only logical for therefore many Arsenal players to opt to place their feet up with a lot at stake in the approaching weeks.
He said: ‘It’s not surprising, it happens and it goes on. You’ve got to take a look at it from his perspective, the club’s perspective. I suppose they’re it and attempting to make history.
That’s positive and also you’ve got the proper to try this as a player.
‘They’re each friendlies and if there are two which are just about guaranteed a spot within the squad as Rice and Saka are, Madueke has pulled out as well with injury.’
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