Arsenal legend, David Seaman slammed manager Mikel Arteta’s decision to bring on four players at once against Manchester United during both sides’ Premier League tie on Sunday.
Arteta introduced Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino, Viktor Gyokeres, and Piero Hincapie in the 58th minute while Arsenal was trailing 2-1.
This move replaced key players such as Martin Zubimendi, Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Jesus, and Ben White as Arsenal ultimately lost the match 3-2.
In an interview with Premier League Productions, Seaman voiced his concerns, stating that the mass substitutions disrupted the team’s momentum.
“I was shocked, to be honest. It was 2-1 at the time, it was almost a knee-jerk reaction to the second United goal, but it brought a bit of tension into the crowd,” Seaman said.
“You are taking off your captain, and he did not look very happy about it. He is our playmaker; his substitution then changed everything because Declan [Rice] had to drop back, and Eze is coming on, who has not done a lot for Arsenal yet.
“It was a strange substitution, and bringing four on as well really disrupts the moment of the team.”