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[WATCH] Alex Iwobi’s reaction at being subbed on isn’t very encouraging

Rishabh Gupta
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Alex Iwobi's reaction at being subbed

Alex Iwobi’s reaction at being subbed: Arsenal were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw against Brighton on the Boxing day fixture.

Arsenal dropped points in a frustrating 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium. The side is now two points behind Chelsea, and the gap between them and Manchester United has now narrowed to six points.

The in-game decisions by Unai Emery came under scanner in the game, as Mesut Ozil was substituted at halftime, while Alexandre Lacazette was changed with Aaron Ramsey in the 61st minute.

Unai Emery addressed the criticism, and stated that Ozil’s substitution was purely ‘tactical,’ and insisted that Aaron Ramsey played well.

However, a video has surfaced online, which indicates that Alex Iwobi, who came on for Ozil in the second half, didn’t know the formation Arsenal were playing with.

Alex Iwobi’s reaction at being subbed on:

The attacker was substituted for the former German international at the start of the second half. The decision didn’t work in favour of Unai Emery, however, as Arsenal struggled to create opportunities throughout the second half.

A video which surfaced after the game showed Iwobi calling his teammate Granit Xhaka, and asking him about the formation the side would be playing.

Here’s the video:

Mesut Ozil made his second consecutive start for Arsenal in the league, after a significant lack of game time since the end of the international break last month.

This is not the first time when Unai Emery stated ‘tactical reasons’ for withdrawing Mesut Ozil from the game. After the defeat against Spurs in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal earlier this month, Unai Emery gave a similar reason for not including the midfielder in the squad.

In the post-match conference after the draw against Brighton, Emery admitted that his ideas for the second half weren’t perfectly executed on the pitch.

“In the second half we couldn’t do our ideas on the pitch for imposing ourselves and this imposing positioning can give us more options in attacking moments to score. We created less chances in the second half,” Emery said.

About the author

Rishabh Gupta

Rishabh Gupta

A sports enthusiast. Sports, I believe, is one of the few powers which help us grow, both as an individual and society. With each day, in the rich world of sports, I grow.

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