Arsenal’s Europa League loss to Sporting CP in midweek ended their chances of winning their second major European trophy, but the penalty shootout loss could be a blessing in disguise.
Mikel Arteta is intent on securing Arsenal’s first Premier League title since 2003/2004, and the extra continental matches may have been more of a hindrance than anything else in their pursuit of Manchester City.
The Spaniard was forced to rotate his squad against the Portuguese, starting players such as Takehiro Tomiyasu, Reiss Nelson, and Fabio Vieira, who didn’t exactly capitalize on their opportunities, with Vieira performing extremely poorly.
The 22-year-old was filling in for Martin Odegaard, who Arteta was clearly resting for the Premier League match this weekend, but he blew his chance.
The former Porto man didn’t do much against Sporting, averaging a dismal Sofascore rating of 5.9/10, comfortably the worst on the pitch, and in his 101-minute stint, he managed just 47 touches and 25 passes – figures far from adequate for Arteta.
He also only won one duel, attempted zero dribbles, and lost possession 13 times during the match, and he “didn’t cover himself in glory,” according to popular Arsenal blog the Short Fuse.
During the game, he was also dubbed “utterly terrible” by one source, and his performance will give Arteta the green light to bench him for the match against Palace this afternoon.
This isn’t a one-off for the 5’7″ midfielder, who has yet to show the Emirates faithful why the club paid £34 million to sign him last summer.
He has only made two Premier League starts this season (17 total), scoring once and assisting twice, but his average Sofascore rating of 6.74/10 ranks him as the Gunners’ 15th best performer this season.
Of course, adjusting to a new league and culture is difficult, but the midfielder has struggled to capitalize on Arteta’s limited opportunities.
Starting in the last 16 of a major European competition was the ideal opportunity for him to demonstrate his abilities and lead the club to the quarter-finals, but his poor performance will undoubtedly leave the manager with more questions than answers.
With the Eagles arriving this afternoon without a manager, the former Porto man will most likely return to his usual watching brief.
