Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that lack of options have forced him to start Takehiro Tomiyasu against Liverpool.
Despite starting the game in a blistering manner, the north London club had to endure a 2-0 defeat against the Merseyside club. Diogo Jota scored both the goals for Jurgen Klopp’s side and guided them to the Cup final where they will faceoff against Chelsea.
The Japan international didn’t feature in the last two games due to a leg injury but went straight back into the side on Thursday without any training for almost a week.
Speaking with the club’s media after the game, Arteta stated that he didn’t want to risk Tomiyasu in this fixture, given that the defender didn’t take part in training ahead of the game. But, the Gunners’ boss was delighted with the former Bologna defender’s commitment.
The Japanese insisted on playing after knowing about the lack of options the Spanish boss had at his disposal, as Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers were unavailable. Arteta said:
“Well, he’s done incredibly. We didn’t want to play him, we had to push him because Cedric and Callum were out and we didn’t have any fullbacks. The moment that he knew that he said that he would play.
“He didn’t have any training sessions with us, and still was willing play and compete the way he has done today. So I am extremely proud and grateful for the players that we have.”
Arsenal Fever View:
Starting Tomiyasu against Liverpool was a risky move from Mikel Arteta, as the defender just returned from an injury and didn’t train for almost a week. The performance on the night from the 23-year-old was apparent as he looked shaky.
Although reaching the final of the EFL Cup and winning a trophy would have been tempting, finishing in the top four should be the main objective for the north London club. Therefore, playing the Japanese for the full 90 minutes wasn’t a shrewd decision by the Spanish boss.
Arteta also introduced Thomas Partey in the latter stages of the game who just arrived in London earlier in the day after an early exit from the AFCON. The Ghanaian picked up two yellow cards in a short time and was sent off.
As a consequence of that, the north London club will be very thin in midfield for Sunday’s game against Burnley as Granit Xhaka is currently suspended and Mohamed Elneny is unavailable due to his international duty. So, Lokonga will be the only recognized midfielder available.
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