Positives & negatives from Arsenal's 1-1 draw vs. Brentford

Negative #2: Mikel Arteta's squad management

Arteta faced a delicate balancing act in this one. He needed to rest key players ahead of a trip to Madrid for the second leg of a tie not put on ice just yet.

At the same time, the Arsenal chief couldn't hand the game away and gift-wrap the title for Liverpool. It seemed as if Arteta got caught in two minds trying to juggle these responsibilities.

He was content to ring changes from the start. The Arsenal starting XI saw Tierney and Partey added at both full-back spots, Jorginho and Oleksandr Zinchenko joining midfield, Nwaneri replacing Saka, and Leandro Trossard stepping in for Mikel Merino up top.

When this lineup laboured and faltered, it didn't take long for Arteta to cast a greedy eye toward his bench. Myles Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, and Saka entered the fray at the expense of Tierney, Zinchenko, and Nwaneri not long after an hour had passed.

It made sense for Arteta to give Saka a few minutes when Arsenal's star man is still chasing full fitness. What made less sense was Arteta still feeling the need for Lewis-Skelly, one of the heroes from the first leg against Real, to get onto the pitch.

Nwaneri's fellow academy graduate, along with Odegaard and Jurrien Timber, who came on for Partey, could have used a full rest before Wednesday. Introducing Timber, as well as swapping Rice for Merino, meant Arsenal were left short once Jorginho limped off in the 85th minute.

Arteta didn't get the balance right and now Arsenal have lost another valuable squad player to injury and also possibly over-extended more important senior figures.

No matter how his team ultimately fares on the continent, there are lessons from this season for Arteta to learn about squad rotation and managing injuries.

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