'I just did it to try to improve the performance' - Mikel Arteta defends decision to sub Nuno Tavares in Arsenal loss
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ByEurosport
Published 09/01/2022 at 22:12 GMT
“I just did it to try to improve the performance of the team,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said of the decision to withdraw Nuno Tavares. “I understand that (it might create a story) but I have to make the decision to try to improve the performance of the team when it’s not going in any other direction.”
Nuno Tavares of Arsenal battles with Steve Cook of Nottingham Forest during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal at City Ground on January 9, 2022
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has defended his decision to substitute Nuno Tavares 34 minutes into their FA Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Tavares was handed a start at left-back, but his appearance lasted a little over half an hour before he was hooked in favour of Kieran Tierney.
The Portuguese defender was visibly upset and stormed down the tunnel after being replaced.
Arsenal were level at 0-0 at the time of Tavares’ departure, meaning they did not improve for the change and were stunned when Lewis Grabban netted the winner for Forest on 83 minutes.
Arteta was disappointed with his side’s performance, but also addressed the decision to hook Tavares.
“I just did it to try to improve the performance of the team,” Arteta said. “I understand that (it might create a story) but I have to make the decision to try to improve the performance of the team when it’s not going in any other direction.”
The defeat followed on from an arguably unfortunate loss to Manchester City, and Arteta did not see such a below-par performance coming.
“Really disappointed with the performance first of all, not with the attitude,” he said. “How much purpose we have and what determination we showed to change the game when it’s difficult to play against.
“But more drive, more hunger to win at any cost in every single action. Much more, we were not at our level today.
“We have to analyse why it happened. We can talk about all the players we didn’t have which is nine or 10, or the players that we had. Today we should have done something different.”
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