"Well he's played there before" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reveals why he tried using Declan Rice in an unusual position in 1-1 draw against PSV
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed why he chose to deploy Declan Rice in an unnatural position during his side's 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven.
Speaking to the club's reporter after the game (via Arsenal.com), the Spaniard revealed his decision was due to a lack of depth in defence.
"We are very short at the back, I really wanted to try when something happens, how we are going to resolve that situation and I think it was really good."
Arteta was then asked what Declan Rice brings to the game when deployed in a central defensive role.
"Well he’s played there before and we have to try in case of an emergency. I will have to make sure that we can fill the gap in the right way."
Declan Rice replaced Cedric Soares in the 62nd minute and put in a decent cameo for his team.
Arsenal grabbed the lead against PSV in their final Champions League group game before the Dutch side equalized in the second half.
Both teams played decent attacking football, with the Gunners doing fairly well despite Mikel Arteta deciding to make eight changes to the team that faced RC Lens in gameweek five.
The result means the north Londoners will qualify as winners of Group B with 13 points from their six games. PSV qualified as runners-up with nine points from their six games.
The draw for the Champions League knockouts will be held in Nyon, Switzerland on December 18, where the 16 qualifiers will learn their fate.
Nketiah and Nelson mark unique feat for Arsenal in the Champions League
Edward Nketiah and Reiss Nelson became the first English pair of players to combine for a goal for Arsenal in the Champions League since 2014.
The last pair to do the same for the Gunners were Calum Chambers and Kieran Gibbs against Anderlecht in October 2014, with the former assisting the latter for an 89th minute equalizer. Arsenal scored the winner in the very next minute in a dramatic finish to the contest.
This marks the first time since the 2016-17 season that the Gunners have qualified for the Champions League knockouts. This is mainly due to the fact that they failed to qualify for the competition until this season.
Mikel Arteta will be hoping to take his team as far as they can go in the competition, having made 17 appearances for the Gunners in the UCL as a player.