The manager of West Ham United, David Moyes, has come to the defense of his counterpart at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, over the criticism he faced for his team selection. This comes after the Hammers eliminated the Gunners from the Carabao Cup with a convincing 3-1 victory at the London Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The match saw West Ham secure their win through a Ben White own goal, as well as goals from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen. Martin Odegaard managed to salvage a late consolation goal for Arsenal.
Despite their defeat, Arteta made the decision to make six changes to the Arsenal side that had triumphed over Sheffield United with a resounding 5-0 win in the Premier League last Saturday. Key players such as Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Declan Rice were among those who started on the bench against Moyes’ side.
Many Arsenal fans criticized Arteta for his team selection against West Ham. However, Moyes strongly believes that Arteta was justified in making changes for the Carabao Cup tie, given the upcoming matches that Arsenal will have to face in the next few days.
When questioned about Arteta’s decision to rotate the team, Moyes responded to reporters by expressing his surprise at the ongoing scrutiny faced by managers regarding team changes. He emphasized that with a squad of 18 or 19 players, many of whom are capable of starting, and with a demanding schedule ahead, it is only natural for managers to make alterations.
Moyes went on to say, “I find it quite surprising really, not that you would ask, but I’m sure you have all considered Arsenal have got Newcastle on Saturday then they have got Sevilla, so they have got big games coming up. That is the way you see it but maybe there are bigger things they see than maybe tonight’s game.”
