Sports
What really killed Mikel Arteta — Paul Merson
Former Arsenal player and club legend, Paul Merson, has voiced his opinion that current manager Mikel Arteta made a crucial mistake by not starting Jorginho during Arsenal’s recent dip in form, which ultimately hindered their Premier League title aspirations.
April proved to be a challenging month for the Gunners as their title challenge began to unravel, resulting in dropped points against formidable opponents such as Liverpool, West Ham, Southampton, and Manchester City.
Arsenal squandered two-goal leads in draws against Liverpool and West Ham, and later salvaged a point with a dramatic 3-3 draw against bottom-placed Southampton at the Emirates Stadium.
The North London club’s title hopes took a severe blow when they suffered a resounding 4-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City, who have since leapfrogged them in the league standings.
Merson believes that Arteta’s decision not to start Jorginho in key matches during this period was a significant oversight that may have cost Arsenal valuable points. Jorginho did not feature in the starting lineup against Liverpool and Southampton, and only made second-half appearances as a substitute in the matches against Southampton and Manchester City.
Reflecting on the situation, Merson stated, “In hindsight, it’s clear that Jorginho should have been in the starting lineup against Southampton. Although it’s easy to say now, Jorginho was brought into the team for a reason, and I believe his presence could have helped maintain defensive solidity and prevented Southampton from scoring. Furthermore, his presence in the midfield could have created more opportunities for Arsenal to score.”
The former Arsenal player expressed surprise that Fabio Vieira, who has struggled to make an impact this season, was given the nod over Jorginho, and he believes that this decision ultimately contributed to Arsenal’s draw against Southampton.
While Merson’s assessment is based on hindsight, it underscores the importance of crucial lineup decisions during critical moments of the season. As Arsenal reflect on their missed opportunities, it remains to be seen how Arteta will respond and recalibrate his team’s approach in their remaining fixtures.
With the Premier League title now seemingly out of reach, Arsenal must regroup and refocus their efforts on securing a strong finish to the season. The lessons learned from the recent setback will undoubtedly inform Arteta’s decision-making going forward as the club aims to end the campaign on a positive note.
