Arsenal man told he'll cost club title as defender 'overstepped the mark'

Arsenal may have snatched a point in the final moments against Manchester City, but the Gunners will view the result as two vital points lost.

Overcoming Pep Guardiola's team on Sunday afternoon was never going to be straightforward, despite Arsenal triumphing 5-1 in the same fixture last season at the Emirates. Mikel Arteta's starting eleven left supporters both shocked and displeased, as he chose a midfield severely lacking in creativity, featuring Mikel Merino and Declan Rice alongside Martin Zubimendi.

This is despite Arsenal having a wealth of more creative options on the bench. The discontent in N5 became greater after Erling Haaland put the visitors ahead in the ninth minute, with Arteta's side struggling to create. The Spanish manager decided he had seen enough at half-time and introduced England pair Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka for Merino and the injured Noni Madueke.

Arsenal put in a much-improved performance in the second half and were rewarded when Eze set up late substitute Gabriel Martinelli for a goal, with the Brazilian executing a delightful chip to secure a draw. football.london now examines two key talking points from the match and the outcome as Arsenal remain in second place.

Arteta 'to blame' if Arsenal don't win title

Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys was amongst those who criticised Arteta's team selection, arguing the manager's cautious approach and reluctance to risk defeat will prevent Arsenal from claiming the Premier League title this campaign.

Keys remarked on beIN Sports: "I'm astounded. I said to you last week if they don't win the title he'll [Arteta] be the reason! You've got to start Eze, unless he's injured, you have to be starting Eze in this game and every game."

Following fellow pundit Andy Gray's questioning of why Arteta opted for Leandro Trossard ahead of Eze or Martinelli, Keys continued: "When you're playing at home, you've got Eze, who's a crowd pleaser, set the place on fire. You've spent big money on him, and you're playing Trossard, he's a sub, he's not even first on."

Arteta, seemingly recognising his mistake, appeared irritated during his post-match press conference when questioned about his midfield selection. He said: "Because I thought it was the best one to start the game. Nobody asked me about the midfield three in Bilbao."

Former Crystal Palace star and £67.5million acquisition Eze had previously been deployed exclusively on the left flank until his outing against City, where he appeared considerably more threatening operating in the No. 10 position. Arteta clarified: "Today he played a little bit more shifted to the right and there was a reason for that.

"When play shifted from the left whether it's as an attacking midfielder, as a winger coming into that space as well, he's someone that is very, very efficient and very creative. We know that, that's why we brought him in. So we're using him in different spaces."

Gabriel slammed for antics

Arsenal's stand-in captain Gabriel Magalhaes was caught out of position for Haaland's opening goal, despite his otherwise commanding performances over the past couple of years. The centre-back has been donning the armband recently due to injuries to Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.

Gabriel made full use of his temporary leadership role by fervently disputing decisions with referee Stuart Attwell, particularly when Leandro Trossard risked being sent off for throwing the ball at Manchester City skipper Bernardo Silva.

However, former PGMOL boss and ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett believes Gabriel crossed a line, suggesting he would have shown the Brazilian a yellow card for challenging the referee too frequently.

In a chat with Football Insider, Hackett commented: "I thought the referee, Stuart Attwell, had a really good game. The only problem was that the captain [Gabriel] overstepped the mark.

"He was too vociferous. He wouldn't let anything go. Arsenal's Arteta needs to have a word with his captain, to say, 'Come off the pace a bit'. As captain, having a link with the referee to communicate is fine, but the referee also has the power to issue a yellow card if he oversteps the mark.

"He's potentially at risk in the future, despite the knowledge that he can talk to the referee, that his over-the-top attitude can get him in trouble. The PGMOL might need to do more work with the captains. That could be a series of visits, so that there is more clarity over when they can communicate with referees."

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