Scholes Questions Arteta's 'Strange' Decision in Arsenal's Defeat to Manchester City
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has suggested that Arsenal players would have been left questioning Mikel Arteta's "strange" decision to substitute Eberechi Eze during their crucial 2-1 defeat to Manchester City. The result has dramatically tightened the Premier League title race, with City now just three points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Match Analysis and Key Moments
Erling Haaland scored the decisive goal for Manchester City in Sunday's top-of-the-table showdown at the Etihad Stadium, though Arsenal had multiple opportunities to secure at least a draw. Kai Havertz missed a golden chance to equalize in the dying moments, having earlier canceled out Rayan Cherki's sublime opener. The impressive Eze also struck the woodwork during a compelling second half.
Second-placed City held on to preserve their narrow advantage in front of a euphoric home crowd. This victory means City will dislodge Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table if they defeat Burnley on Wednesday night. For Arsenal—runners-up in each of the last three seasons—this defeat marks just one win in their last six games across all competitions ahead of their upcoming encounter with Newcastle.
Scholes' Critical Assessment
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes expressed his bewilderment at Arteta's decision to replace Eze with Leandro Trossard in the 74th minute. "When you're looking at the game, you're thinking, 'Eze's playing well here, Eze is having a big influence on the game', and I would've thought the other players will be thinking, 'That's a strange one'," Scholes stated.
Scholes argued that Arsenal should have shown more attacking intent by substituting defensive players like Declan Rice or Martin Zubimendi instead. "To show a bit of intent they should have brought Declan Rice or Martin Zubimendi off, just go for goal," he emphasized.
Title Race Implications
The defeat represents a significant shift in momentum. Just nine days ago, a win over Bournemouth would have sent Arsenal twelve points clear at the summit. However, consecutive crushing losses have now handed City the initiative ahead of their trip to Turf Moor.
Scholes praised Manchester City's resilience, suggesting that Pep Guardiola might consider winning the league this season as one of his greatest coaching achievements. "You think where City were in December, they were struggling. Last year, they were struggling. One thing I would say is they spent well in January. You think of Antoine Semenyo, Marc Guehi..."
Player Performances Under Scrutiny
Scholes highlighted the contrasting performances of key players. He pointed to Bernardo Silva's "unbelievable" impact in the match, contrasting it with what he perceived as a lack of decisive contribution from Arsenal's stars. "You talk about big players standing up. Look at who stood up yesterday... Bernardo Silva. Unbelievable," Scholes gushed. "Where are Arsenal's players that are going to win you the league in big games like that? Where's your Declan Rice? Declan Rice is a great player but he wasn't quite there yesterday."
The former England international also emphasized the difference in finishing quality between the teams. "They had big chances and you talk about difference in centre-forwards, I think if those chances come to Erling Haaland then it's a goal. You've got to be ruthless in those situations and unfortunately Kai Havertz just wasn't."
Arteta's Tactical Approach Questioned
Scholes questioned Arteta's sudden shift to a more attacking lineup against City. "I think Arteta changed a little bit yesterday and it's not always easy to do that when you're going a certain way, playing a certain way. All of a sudden, he played quite an attacking team, a very attacking team. It was exciting but you can't just switch it on and off like that."
This tactical adjustment drew criticism from ex-Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira as well, who was left puzzled by the decision to substitute Eze when the England international was having such a significant influence on the game.
Arteta's Defiant Response
Despite the setback, Arteta remained defiant in his post-match comments, insisting that his belief in the team remains unwavering. "I believe today, I believe on Wednesday, I believed a week ago because I see them every day and I know the level that we have," the Arsenal head coach told reporters. "But today, if they need to be more convinced, I think they are now more convinced. We are talking about it in the dressing room."
Arteta emphasized that the title race is far from over. "It's a new league now. We have three points of advantage, they have the game in hand. Everything is still to play for. We know how much we want it and we are not going to stop!"
Looking Ahead
As the Premier League season enters its decisive phase, Arsenal must regroup quickly ahead of their match against Newcastle. The psychological impact of this defeat—and the questions surrounding Arteta's decisions—will be tested in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Manchester City now have the momentum as they seek to capitalize on their game in hand and potentially overtake Arsenal at the summit.
The title race has been reignited with this result, setting up a thrilling conclusion to the season. Both teams face pressure to perform in their remaining fixtures, with every decision—including substitution choices—potentially determining the destination of the Premier League trophy.
