Mikel Arteta mistake that could cost Arsenal millions as Aaron Ramsdale and Gabriel have inquest
Arteta misses key chance to play the kids
From the moment the half time whistle blew against Lens it has seemed a race to when one of Arsenal's academy stars will be given their chance. The club has a fine tradition stretching back to the Arsene Wenger era of giving young players a start in dead rubber Champions League games that seemed invariably to be against Olympiacos.
Unai Emery had continued this tradition in the Europa League offering first starts to Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and several others. Now with the first meaningless European tie of his managerial career, Mikel Arteta had the chance to follow suit, and even hinted that he would.
«We want to start to give them some experience because they have the talent to hopefully be very close to us,» he said in his pre-match press conference. «We will try to give them the opportunity if we can in the right moment.»
The question then was when exactly would that moment be? As the game zombie-walked it's way past the hour mark, a flurry of activity around the bench suggested this could be the moment that one of Reuell Walters, Lino Sousa or Ethan Nwaneri could get their first European minutes. Instead as the substitutes board was lifted, the sobering reality that Ben White, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard were going to be introduced, poured cold water on to any embers of excitement. That would mean that only two of the Hale End three would get their chance, and given that Emile Smith Rowe was in need of minutes even that seemed an improbability. Then as Gabriel Jesus was introduced alongside Smith Rowe for the final 5 minutes of the match it was confirmed that there would be no glimpse into the future tonight at least.
«I don’t think it was the right context,» Arteta
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