Arsenal fans criticized Mikel Arteta for what they deemed a ‘disastrous’ decision during the match against Shakhtar Donetsk, which could threaten their season. Although the team won 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium due to an own goal by Shakhtar’s Dmytro Riznyk, supporters were dissatisfied with Arteta’s choices.
Leandro Trossard missed a penalty in the 77th minute, leaving Arsenal with seven points from their first three Champions League group matches. Concerns grew when Riccardo Calafiori appeared to injure his knee in the second half. Despite initially continuing to play, he later requested a substitution.
If Calafiori is out for an extended period, it would add to Arteta’s challenges, especially with a tough schedule ahead. Key players like Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka were already injured, raising alarm about the team’s defensive depth.
Full-backs Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu, as well as sixth-choice left-back Kieran Tierney, were unavailable. Although Oleksandr Zinchenko returned from injury, he was only fit enough to sit on the bench. Arteta replaced Calafiori with Myles Lewis-Skelly, leaving Jakub Kiwior, another left-back option, unused.
Fans expressed frustration over Arteta’s decision to keep Calafiori on the field amid the injury crisis. One fan noted, “Calafiori was still out there because Arteta doesn’t trust squad players in these situations.” Another said, “I really hope Calafiori is okay, but Arteta only plays younger players when he has no other choice.” A third commented, “This is a disaster. I genuinely don’t understand why Calafiori was still playing.”
