Mikel Arteta ready to switch goalkeepers mid-game in search of tactical edge
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted he may switch between goalkeepers mid-game for purely tactical reasons after dropping Aaron Ramsdale for Sunday’s 1-0 win at Everton.
Arteta handed loan signing David Raya a debut as the Gunners earned a first Premier League victory at Goodison Park for six years thanks to Leandro Trossard’s second-half goal.
With Arsenal back in the Champions League, Arteta is determined to rotate his squad – and that could extend to swapping in his other keeper, having resisted the urge to do so before.
“I’m a really young manager, I have a few regrets and one of them is that I felt, on two occasions, to change the keeper and I didn’t do it,” he said.
“I didn’t have the courage to do it. Someone is going to do it, and maybe [people will say] ‘that’s so strange, why?’. Why not? You have all the qualities in another goalkeeper, something has happened and you want to change momentum – do it.”
An attritional win lifted Arsenal to fourth, two points behind champions Manchester City, and featured a lively display from Fabio Vieira in place of the misfiring Kai Havertz.
Substitute Trossard broke the deadlock on 69 minutes with a first-time finish that flew in off the far post, although Gabriel Martinelli had seen an early strike chalked off for offside.
“Fabio deserved to play – he has been knocking at the door for a few weeks. He contributed and had some great actions,” added Arteta.
“There will be rotations. I mentioned that we wanted to build a squad with two quality players in each position. We have got that now. And to maximise that they have to play games.
“For six years we haven’t won here. I think we played an incredible game, we kept them really quiet and dominated the game. Extremely happy to go away with a win and a clean sheet.”
Everton, who had just 24 per cent possession and one attempt on target, sit 18th in the table with just one point from five games.
Elsewhere, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino insisted he understood supporters’ frustrations after they drew 0-0 at Bournemouth, leaving them 14th.
“What can we do? I have nothing to say. The fans can do whatever they want,” said Pochettino, who pointed to an injury list running into double figures.
“We know what we need to do, we are strong in our belief. I’m going to cry? I’m going to complain? To who? I need to accept this, the challenge and keep being positive.”
Nottingham Forest and Burnley complete the gameweek on Monday evening when they are due to meet at the City Ground.