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Mikel Arteta has responded to scepticism over his recent Arsenal formations by comparing the matter to his complicated car journey in the morning.
The Gunners’ tactical choices have raised eyebrows in recent weeks with centre back Gabriel on the bench, and multiple changes in the attacking line.
He said: ‘The other day (vs Fulham) there were 36 different formations in the match. Against Manchester City, 43.
‘Now Finsbury Road is 20 miles an hour so sometimes I take a back door, but I then go on the M25. But depending if it is a school ride at that time, I take one exit. If it is after 7am, I take a different exit.
Mikel Arteta has defended tinkering with his Arsenal squad so far this season
The Gunners boss added that he couldn’t simply redeploy last season’s formula even if he wanted to due to injuries
Arteta also heaped praise on Ben White after the former Brighton star was left out of Gareth Southgate’s England squad
‘One day I have a flat tyre: what do I do? I have to replace it, maybe take a different road because the garage is there. So every game is a different story.’
When asked on whether there’s temptations to play a similar side he deployed last season, he replied: ‘I cannot do that. I have different players. I cannot do that. (Oleksandr) Zinchenko was injured, Granit (Xhaka) is not here, how can I do that?
‘It’s different and it’s going to be different and the energy is going to be different and that’s because it’s a different season. That’s the beauty of it. The beauty of the thing that I enjoy the most which is new. We can still do much, much better a lot of things. Let’s do that.’
Arteta was speaking just a day after Ben White’s omission from the England squad. The Spaniard was full of praise for the defender’s start to the season.
‘Ben has been incredible since the start of the season again,’ he added. ‘We know that he was there and what happened is totally down to (Gareth) Southgate) and him to make that decision, that call whenever it’s necessary. He certainly has that level and I think he’s proved that in the last few years.’
