Declan Rice shock at Arsenal: 'Disbelief at 100 per cent wrong Mikel Arteta'

Mikel Arteta’s decisions to remove Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard while Arsenal were chasing a win against Everton were “100%” wrong, says Tim Sherwood.

The Gunners missed a golden opportunity to capitalise on Liverpool dropping points, settling for a goalless draw against Merseyside rivals Everton.

Despite improved form following Martin Ødegaard’s return, Mikel Arteta substituted the Norwegian playmaker and Declan Rice after 62 minutes.

However, the change failed to inject any intensity or improve performance, a decision the Spaniard came to regret.

Former Tottenham player Tim Sherwood labelled the substitutions as “strange” and warned such choices are ones managers “live and die by.”

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday, Sherwood said (4.21pm): “Really surprising for me. Don’t look injured either. Jorginho and [Ethan] Nwaneri have come on, but Ødegaard and Declan Rice?”

Equally stunned, Simon Thomas asked: “Wow, are you sure they’re not struggling with anything?”

Sherwood responded: “No, they’re not struggling, but if I’m Sean Dyche, as soon as I see Ødegaard come off that pitch, I’m thinking, ‘That’s handy; this boy can open us up even if we’re nice and compact.’

“It’s a strange decision. You live and die by your decisions as a manager, and it’s a very brave one in my opinion.”

After his final change on 74 minutes Sherwood reacted: “[Leandro] Trossard, last throw of the dice from Arteta. The only thing I would suggest is they’ve had one corner in the second half, they had five or six in the first half and looked a real threat, obviously, from every corner they’ve taken.

“But now they’ve taken one from the left-hand side. Trossard takes it, Declan Rice is off. We know how good Declan Rice’s deliver is, even if you keep him on for that. I know they’ve got a cup game in midweek. This is the bread and butter, this is the big prize, the Premier League.

“I can’t believe… Mikel makes most decisions right but without doubt today if this doesn’t materialise in three points he’s got the two decisions, huge decisions, wrong by bringing off Declan Rice and 100% Odegaard. They’ve lost the guile in the middle of the pitch.”

Arsenal title hopes slipping away as pressure mounts on Arteta

Football Insider Opinion

Arsenal were touted as a strong contender this season, especially after finishing just two points behind Manchester City last term. Many saw the Gunners as City’s closest challengers. However, the North London side appears to be faltering.

Their attack has lacked sharpness, with Gabriel Jesus under scrutiny for scoring just one goal so far. Fans have also vented frustration over refereeing decisions, often shared on X rather than scrutinised properly.

Adding to the turmoil, sporting director Edu recently resigned [Sky Sports], leaving their hierarchy scrambling. While names like Dan Ashworth have been floated, no replacement has yet been appointed.

Arteta’s side now sits six points behind league leaders Liverpool, who also hold a game in hand. The pressure to reignite their campaign is higher than ever.

Liverpool also dropped points against Fulham, but Chelsea face Brentford with the ability to pull away.

In other Arsenal news, a major update has emerged regarding Thomas Partey’s contract.

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