Mikel Arteta explains the true reason behind substituting Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.

Mikel Arteta has clarified that his decision to substitute Martin Odegaard during Arsenal’s match against Everton was purely tactical. Odegaard, a key figure for Arsenal since joining from Real Madrid and becoming captain last season, was replaced by youngster Ethan Nwaneri in the 62nd minute.

Despite Arsenal’s dominance against Sean Dyche’s side, the Norwegian struggled to make an impact, making his early substitution seem unusual. Declan Rice was also taken off, but Arteta confirmed that Rice’s withdrawal was due to injury concerns, whereas Odegaard’s was based on his performance.

Arteta explained: “With Declan, I had to take him off because he was feeling something. With Martin, it was tactical. I understand—if Ethan comes in and scores, it’s a great substitution. If he doesn’t, you’ve taken your captain off. That’s football.”

Arteta expressed his frustration after the 0-0 draw, despite Arsenal having 77% possession and 13 shots. “Very disappointing not to win the game. We didn’t concede any chances, but we didn’t score either. We created opportunities, dominated, and fully deserved to win,” he said.

Everton manager Sean Dyche was pleased with his team’s defensive resilience. Speaking to the BBC, he said, “You have to know how to work without the ball at places like this. The commitment and defensive organization were excellent, and I’m proud of the players. It’s a step in the right dire

ction.”