Following a thrilling round of Premier League matches—Manchester United defeating Chelsea and Liverpool triumphing in the Merseyside derby—Manchester City made the trip to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon. ..Continue Reading
With both teams aiming to overtake current leaders Liverpool in the title race, the outcome of this clash could be pivotal.
After a tense contest, it seemed Erling Haaland’s goal would secure victory for City, but Gabriel Martinelli struck late, resulting in a 1-1 draw.
Despite earning an unexpected point, many Arsenal fans were displeased with Arteta’s choice in the starting eleven.
While supporters were relieved to see Bukayo Saka return to the bench after recovering from a hamstring issue, the most shocking element of the lineup was Arteta’s call to exclude Eberechi Eze from the starting team.
Instead, the manager went with Mikel Merino, a move that sparked backlash among the fanbase.
Reacting to Merino’s inclusion, one fan posted on X: “Arteta has fully convinced himself that Zubi/Rice/Merino works in big games, and he’ll always play them unless one of them is injured. Unbelievably frustrating.”
Another commented sarcastically: “Genuinely feel for arteta man. why didn’t we back him in the summer? He’s forced to play Merino as an attacking midfielder, if only he had a player like Eze at his disposal.”
Fans felt vindicated later in the match when Eze delivered the pass that led to Martinelli’s equaliser, intensifying frustration among those who believed the team could have won had Eze been given more minutes.
One supporter stated: “This is why Eze should’ve started this game. Could have won the game if Arteta didn’t start Merino.”
The draw moves Arsenal into second place in the standings, edging past Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth on goal difference, while remaining five points adrift of Liverpool.
Manchester City, meanwhile, drop to ninth, trailing Liverpool by eight points and Arsenal by three.
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