Gary Neville said he was “stunned” by Mikel Arteta’s decision to move Declan Rice out of midfield after Ben White was forced off during the first half of Arsenal’s must-win Premier League match at West Ham due to injury.
The Premier League leaders were well on top at the London Stadium when England right back White stayed down following a collision with West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville. White was then replaced, in what is a worry for his hopes of featuring in the Champions League final and this summer’s World Cup.
Arteta responded by calling for midfielder Martin Zubimendi as White’s replacement, rather than versatile defenders Cristhian Mosquera or Pierro Hincapie. With Myles Lewis-Skelly continuing in midfield, Rice was moved to right back.
Rice has filled in at right back before for Arsenal, including as a starter in the 2-1 win over Brighton in the Premier League this season when both White and Jurrien Timber, as well as Mosquera and Hincapie, were unavailable.
But former Manchester United defender Neville questioned the logic of moving Rice out of central midfield. “I’m stunned,” Neville said on Sky Sports. “Taking him out of the middle of the pitch is a big call.”
And after being close to taking the lead in a dominant start at the London Stadium, Arsenal’s changes were followed by West Ham growing into the game. Arsenal had 10 shots in the opening 22 minutes of the game, but West Ham finished the half as the stronger of the two sides.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright agreed that Arsenal lost their “momentum” after White’s injury. Fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp added: “They lost a physical presence in the middle of the pitch with Zubimendi coming on. Playing Rice at right back was one of the strangest decisions I’ve seen this season.”
The move lasted around 20 minutes though, before Arteta reshuffled again: he brought on Mosquera for Riccardo Calafiori, moved Lewis-Skelly to left back, shifted Mosquera to right back, and restored Rice to the middle of the pitch alongside Zubimendi.
“It’s a correction of a mistake,” Neville then said. “But he’s done the right thing. I think Calafiori is a loss for Arsenal.”
