Arsenal: 4 massive selection decisions vs Everton

Mikel Arteta has the uncanny knack of making regular decisions to frustrate the Arsenal supporters. For a manager with still so much left to prove in his first job, it’s unavoidable.

Everyone is still hugely disgruntled with how events at Old Trafford played out. It was the fifth Premier League defeat of the season but by far the toughest to swallow.

Manchester United are a poor side. It’s almost unfathomable considering how stuffed full of outstanding talent they are. They are a group of individuals reliant on each other’s unique qualities to see them through, which is what happened on Thursday.

In time they will improve under the interim guidance of Ralf Rangnick. He will get his teeth stuck into the job and make a team out of them. The side that Arsenal faced was not one of his control though, and instead under the command of someone even less experienced than Arteta.

Everton vs Arsenal: 4 massive selection decisions for Mikel Arteta to make for Monday’s Premier League clash at Goodison Park

Decisions in his selections suggested negativity from the Arsenal boss. Fielding Mohamed Elneny from the start stunk of a reserved mentality, as just a few days prior Sambi Lokonga had looked superb against Newcastle.

The opportunity was there for the taking. It was squandered.

With Everton at Goodison Park next up on the fixture list Arteta not only has to rectify previous mistakes, he also has to find solutions to glaring issues within his squad in regards to individuals.

All of that combined with the need to refresh his team ahead of the hectic festive period means there is a lot to consider ahead of Monday. Here are four big calls for him to make.

1. Keep Martin Odegaard in the Team

From hero to villain in the blink of an eye.

Martin Odegaard came under heavy criticism after the Old Trafford debacle, plenty of it coming well before his impressively stupid lunge on Fred to give away the penalty that won the game for United.

He was picked out as someone who held onto the ball for too long and disrupted the tempo of Arsenal’s play. Seeking to use the economy of touches in his favour, he would bide his time for second and third man runs to the point where it became an hindrance to the team. As he grew into the game he found the right spaces, and his goal was a really well taken cushioned strike into the corner.

Of course, the penalty incident changed that and suddenly all the worrying aspects of his performance overshadowed the positives. But what about the numbers? He led Arsenal in xA, key passes and shot-creating actions, as well as finding the back of the net. It was an above average display in a below average performance.

Odegaard is one of those players that often goes unnoticed until he makes a mistake. That’s part of his allure, but from an optics point of view it’s to his detriment.

It depends what Arteta saw on the night as, undoubtedly, he’ll be fuming with the tackle. That’s not what he wants and not what he rewards, so there is a decision to be made on his inclusion over Lacazette.

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