ARSENAL manager Mikel Arteta has hinted that he could swap goalkeepers mid-game in future.
The Gunners clinched a 1-0 win over Everton on Sunday to climb into the Premier League top four.
Arteta made two changes to his starting line-up ahead of the match, one of which saw summer signing David Raya replace Aaron Ramsdale in goal.
Raya, who joined the club on loan from Brentford last month, kept a clean sheet on his debut and received heaps of praise from Arsenal fans.
Although the 28-year-old’s arrival sparked concern for some supporters and pundits, who claimed that Arsenal shouldn’t have two first-choice goalkeepers in the squad, Arteta believes he has already improved the strength of the squad significantly.
The former midfielder even suggested that he could decide to swap goalkeepers mid-game in future – something that is rarely done in the Premier League or Champions League.
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During his post-match press conference, Arteta said: “No one is guaranteed a spot. I’m not guaranteed a spot.
“We’re here to perform at the highest level and to contribute our best capacity to win games. It’s no different for anyone.
“If we set ourselves those standards, no matter what happens externally it is not going to be bigger than that. That’s the aim we have.
“I haven’t had a single question on why Gabriel Jesus hasn’t started.
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“He (Jesus) has won more trophies than anybody else, including me, in that dressing room.
“But I cannot have two players in this position and don’t play them. David has tremendous qualities, like Aaron has, like Karl (Hein) has, but we have to use them. It is like this.
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“I am a really young manager. I only have been three and a half years in the job and I have few regrets.
“One of them was that on two occasions I felt after 60 minutes and after 85 minutes, in two games in this period, to change the keeper at that moment and I didn’t do it.
“I didn’t have the courage to do it and I was so unhappy.
“Tell me why not do it. Why not. We have all the qualities in another goalkeeper to do something, something is happening and you want to change momentum.
“Do it. It is a regret that I had. And now my feeling is to get everyone engaged and in the team, they have to play regardless of the competition. That is my message.”
Arsenal initially struggled to break Everton down at Goodison Park, but Leandro Trossard provided a breakthrough in the 69th minute to seal the three points.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
