Back to the International Newsfeed

Emery's tinkering fails as Arsenal hand Brighton late Christmas present

Unai Emery has been lauded for his ‘in-game genius’ at times this season but his substitutions in the 1-1 draw at Brighton showed a manager who has yet to work out what his best Arsenal team is yet.

It could be called game management due to the number of matches Arsenal have in their packed festive schedule, but the decision to take Mesut Ozil off at half-time for Alex Iwobi will prompt further questions over the manager’s relationship with the German playmaker.

It proved to be a hasty substitution, too, when the Gunners required creativity in the final third in the second half.