At a Glance:
- Wayne Rooney slated Mikel Arteta’s decision to bench one Arsenal star against Manchester City.
- Rooney admitted he would have been upset if he was the Arsenal man.
- Mikel Arteta’s decision backfired at the Etihad Stadium.
Mikel Arteta must be feeling the pressure of the title race after his Arsenal side lost successive Premier League games against AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City.
While the Gunners still sit at the summit of the league table and better Pep Guardiola and Co’s goal difference by one, City could also go on and win the title if they win each of their remaining fixtures.
Thierry Henry urged Arsenal to beat Manchester City to “make a statement” but the Sky Blues have reigned supreme over Mikel Arteta’s side in their latest outing as well as in the Carabao Cup final.
Unfortunately for Arteta, his decision to drop Viktor Gyokeres in favour of Kai Havertz, who underwhelmed against Manchester City by missing two gilt-edged chances summed up a day to forget for the Spaniard.
Wayne Rooney on Viktor Gyokeres being dropped for Man City vs Arsenal
Havertz’s display at the Etihad Stadium on the whole was decent as he scored the equaliser after a relentless piece of pressing and linked play up well. However, a striker’s primary task is to bury their chances and the German made a meal of a free header as well as a one-v-one situation where Martin Odegaard played him through on goal; two moments that could cost Arsenal the title down the line.
On the other hand, Erling Haaland was clinical against Arsenal when Nico O’Reilly’s pass fell to him and punished the North Londoners, highlighting the value of an elite finisher.
After Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City, Wayne Rooney claimed on BBC Match of the Day that had he have been in Gyokeres’ shoes against Manchester City, he would have been upset with Mikel Arteta.
“I just think in a game of this stature, your big number nine who you’ve brought in for big money in the summer, like Haaland for Man City, you want them playing in these games to make the difference. I was just looking that and thinking, ‘If I was him, what would I be feeling?’ I wouldn’t be happy at all if I was sat on the bench in a game like this.”
“Maybe [my confidence would have been affected if I was Gyokeres], for the run-in, for the next games because he’d be sat there thinking, ‘Does the manager fancy me or does he fancy Havertz ahead of me?’
Rooney defended the £55 million (Sky Sports) man, saying: “Havertz, as Danny [Murphy] said, he did have a good game but I think if you’re coming in, you’re meant to be the goalscorer, I actually think he’s had a decent season. I think he’d be really disappointed he didn’t play today.”
Mikel Arteta made the right decision to drop Viktor Gyokeres vs Man City
Ultimately, one cannot dig Mikel Arteta out for dropping Gyokeres as he has been majorly disappointing since his move to the Emirates Stadium, both as a goalscorer and an all-round centre-forward.
Furthermore, the Swede’s record against the division’s ‘Big Six’ sides further justifies why Arteta may not have backed him to have much of an impact against Manchester City.
| Viktor Gyokeres vs Big Six clubs | Goals | Starts |
| Manchester City | 0 | 2 |
| Manchester United | 0 | 2 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | 1 |
| Chelsea | 1 | 4 |
| Liverpool | 0 | 1 |
The only two sides out of the aforementioned five that he has scored against since joining Arsenal are Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
Considering how high the stakes were on Sunday, Mikel Arteta backed Havertz as his striker and at the end of the day, the former Chelsea forward’s wastefulness cannot be blamed on him.
