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- Arsenal have FINALLY grown up… they used to be soft and you can’t say that any more – It’s All Kicking Off
Mikel Arteta has reminded his squad that it takes ‘just a second to change the history of a football club’ as Arsenal look to utilise their fringe players in a congested title run-in.
This month see the Gunners play twice a week, including two Champions League quarter-final legs against Bayern Munich.
That brings players like Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe, who have been stuck on the bench, into the picture.
Ahead of Arsenal’s match against Luton on Wednesday, Arteta said: ‘Our obligation and our duty is to be prepared to play any minute in any moment.
‘Look at the example of Reiss. His best moment for Arsenal (his winner against Bournemouth in March 2023), it’s a moment where he played a few minutes and made a huge impact and it’s one of the best days in his life as an Arsenal player.
Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal fringe players ‘sometimes you just need a second to change the history of a football club’ as they prepare for a tense run-in this season
Arteta cited Reiss Nelson’s crucial goal off the bench against Bournemouth last season
Nelson’s goal to win that match 3-2 sparked pandemonium but Arsenal lost out in the title race
‘Nobody remembers if he started or if it was off the bench. There are a lot of examples in world sport where players made the impact.
‘Sometimes you just need a second to change the history of a football club. You don’t need 100 minutes to play football.’
On making wholesale changes, he added: ‘We have done both; they have worked sometimes.
‘Sometimes not that good. Sometimes it’s unrelated to those changes and would have been the same. It’s very difficult to predict.’
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