Mikel Arteta slammed for comments after Arsenal’s win vs Bilbao – ‘I’m not having it’

Mikel Arteta has been slammed for his attempts to “glam up” substitutes by labelling them as “finishers”. The Arsenal boss used the term shortly after his side’s Champions League win against Spanish side Athletic Bilbao.

Having initially been named on the bench, substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard both found the net for the Gunners to secure victory. Speaking after the game, Arteta said: “At the end, the finishers, they made the impact for us to win the game.

Pressed on his use of the term, he added: “They are at least equally important, or more important. We have discussed that the finishers are going to be more important this season, sometimes more than the starters.

“We can change the game there, especially with the intensity that we play, especially when the team starts to drop off, and I’m very pleased to see that.”

But not everyone is convinced by Arteta’s use of the word. Former Premier League striker Charlie Austin has taken aim at the Arsenal boss, claiming that the change wasn’t needed.

Speaking on Sky Sports, the ex-England man said: “I’m not having it. I’m not having it. It’s just another change in terminology that we keep going on about, a new word in football – finisher coming on. Ultimately, every sub wants to be a starter. I’m not really buying into that.

“I understand he’s trying to keep all the players happy and that but I know for a fact that as a player, you want to play from the start and not be a finisher.”

Asked if the term is being used to add some positivity to the role of a substitute, Austin replied: “What kind of positivity? If you’re playing for Arsenal and you’re at the top end and fighting for four trophies, surely that’s enough positivity going around the place as it is.”

He added: “In football players know that if you’re on the bench, you’re on the bench. Whether you’re coming on to change the game with 20 minutes to go.

“It’s always been super sub but now all of a sudden we’re changing it and adding finishers into football because we think we can glam it up. I’m not buying into it.”

Arsenal and Arteta will certainly hope that regardless of their roles, a number of their stars are at top form over the weekend. The Gunners take on Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Arteta’s side could potentially go top of the table with victory. Arsenal will still be without Bukayo Saka for the weekend’s game as he continues his recovery from a thigh injury.

Captain Martin Odegaard is also expected to be sidelined having picked up a shoulder injury that kept him out of Tuesday evening’s trip to Spain.

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