Mikel Arteta accused of ruining Arsenal title chances by making major selection blunder

Rob McCarthy 17 Feb 2025 9:07 PM

Arteta told he made Ethan Nwaneri mistake

Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal would be ‘closer to Liverpool’ in the Premier League title race had it not been for a major mistake from Gunners boss Mikel Arteta earlier in the season.

The Gunners are clinging on by their fingertips in their bid to end their 20-year-plus wait for top-flight title success, having finished runners-up to Manchester City for the past two campaigns.

Liverpool were not fancied at all at the start of the season, after replacing legendary boss Jurgen Klopp with Dutchman Arne Slot, but the Anfield outfit currently sit seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal with 13 games remaining.

However, Ferdinand firmly believes that Arteta‘s men would be even closer to the Reds if Arteta had called on teenage star Ethan Nwaneri more often earlier in the campaign.

The Gunners had a major wobble when Odegaard was on the sidelines from September 9 to November 4, winning only three of seven games and also suffering their only two league defeats of the season during that period.

And, speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand feels Arteta missed a trick by not giving Nwaneri more game time during that period.

The former Manchester United and England captain said: “Arsenal could be nearer to winning the league and closer to Liverpool if your manager played Nwaneri when Odegaard was injured.

“What he is doing… he is cooking defenders, he is cooking teams. I think if he came in you would have got more points.

“It’s easy to say in hindsight but I was saying it at the time. Chuck him in and just see, what’s the worst that can happen?

“Because you were running up dead alleys at the time and not getting results. Put him in! Odegaard was gone.”

Nwaneri has stepped up for an injury-hit Arsenal attack in 2025, scoring three goals in his last seven outings and producing another strong display in the win at Leicester last weekend.

Arsenal hit with FA fine

Meanwhile, the Gunners have been fined £65,000 for failing to control their players after Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off during their Premier League win at Wolves.

The Football Association charged Arsenal with failing to ensure their players “did not behave in an improper manner,” at Molineux on January 25.

The club admitted the charge before an independent regulatory commission imposed the sanction.

Arsenal players surrounded referee Michael Oliver in the 43rd minute of their 1-0 victory after he showed Lewis-Skelly a straight red card for a foul on Matt Doherty.

Video assistant referee (VAR) Darren England upheld Oliver’s decision that Lewis-Skelly committed serious foul play.

The Gunners appealed against the decision and the 18-year-old’s three-match ban was subsequently overturned.

After the match referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said police were investigating “threats and abuse” directed at Oliver and his family on social media.