Arsenal manager explains decision to snub academy trio in Champions League draw

Ethan Nwaneri, Reuell Walters and Lino Sousa were supposed to play for Arsenal but it didn’t happen this time.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta admits that Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven was not the “right moment” to offer minutes to three of the club’s academy starlets.

Arsenal already qualified for the next round and they are likely to finish at the top of the group. It was the right time to try young players in the game.

Arteta made eight alterations from the weekend’s Premier League loss to Aston Villa. Arsenal took the lead against the run of play on the stroke of halftime. Yorbe Vertessen equalised for the PSV. The match ended in a 1- draw.

Emile Smith Rowe made his first appearance since October after recovering from a knee injury. Ethan Nwaneri, Reuell Walters and Lino Sousa were supposed to play but it didn’t happen this time.

While talking to the media in his post-game press conference, Arteta said: “I don’t think it was the right context, making eight changes already to throw them in there against a team that hasn’t lost here almost in two years, I didn’t think it was the righ

“I went on to wait to see how the game developed, but it was too much for them and as well we have three little issues, we had to make the subs and then we had no room because we really wanted to play a game as well.

“Emile we wanted to play him a little bit earlier. We were waiting because we had two players with niggles. I was asking them can they continue? I was hesitant to make the change too early and than have six or seven minutes with ten men.”

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