Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has explained his decision to make a triple substitution at half-time during their 3-0 Champions League win over Lille on Tuesday.
The Gunners struggled to find a breakthrough for over an hour before Jurrien Timber opened the scoring in the 64th minute from Noni Madueke’s low cross.
Eberechi Eze doubled their lead three minutes later, with Bukayo Saka then making it 3-0 in the 71st minute.
While Arsenal eventually claimed a comfortable victory, Arteta admitted that his side struggled to create enough danger in the first half.
Technical quality lacking
The Spaniard was pleased with the overall result but felt that Arsenal could have done more before the break despite creating some promising positions.
“We had moments in the first half where we arrived into a very dangerous position with a lot of advantage,” he said.
“Our technical quality wasn’t good enough to deliver moments of real threat and sustain real attacks.
“We made a change at half-time and our technical level increased.
“It was a joy to watch the goals that we scored, three different players and a number of different players participating.”
The win sees Arsenal maintain their strong start to the Champions League campaign, with the North London side sitting third in the league-phase table behind Barcelona and Sporting CP.
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A triple substitution
Arteta’s decision to make three changes at half-time played a part in Arsenal’s improved performance, with the substitutes helping to find a way through Lille’s defence.
The Arsenal boss explained that the changes were necessary based on how the game was developing and the opposition’s approach.
“I felt that it was the right moment to do it. With the way the game was panning out, the way the opponent was behaving, we needed different kinds of players,” said Arteta of the triple substitution.
“But credit to the starters and the ones who came on.”
The result will be encouraging for Arteta, particularly after his side struggled to turn their first-half possession into clear chances.
Arsenal now have another Champions League victory to build on as they look to secure a strong position in the league phase and continue their push for European success.
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