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Football London
Football London
Sport
Bobby Vincent

'How?' - Arsenal fans question Mikel Arteta's decision after costly moment vs Everton

Some Arsenal fans have been left to question Mikel Arteta's decision to bring Eddie Nketiah on in the second-half of his side's clash with Everton.

With the Gunners winning 1-0 thanks to a Martin Odegaard goal on the verge of half-time, Arteta brought Nketiah on for Gabriel Martinelli, who looked in some pain at Goodison Park.

Not too long after Nketiah was introduced to the action, Everton levelled the match after Richarlison headed the ball over Aaron Ramsdale.

Arsenal could have won it, though, on Merseyside, when Nketiah found himself free at the back post and the ball fell to him after an inch-perfect cross from Bukayo Saka.

However, the striker, who is out of contract at Arsenal at the end of the season, could only find the post before the ball rebounded out for a goal kick.

Alan Smith, who was on co-commentary duty for Sky Sports' coverage of the game at Goodison, could not believe what he had seen from the forward.

"Normally, he is such a reliable finisher. This is his game, it is set up on a plate from Saka," Smith said. "He will not know how he has missed that."

Arsenal fans, when taking to Twitter, were left to question the call to bring him on, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe sitting on the bench.

Arsenal fans left frustrated by Eddie Nketiah's miss vs Everton (Twitter)

It proved costly for Arsenal, the Nketiah miss, with Everton winning the match in stoppage time through a wonderful strike from outside the box from Demarai Gray that left Ramsdale with no chance in the visitors' goal.

The second successive defeat means Arsenal miss the chance to move within a point of the top four, and now sit four points below West Ham United in fourth.

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