Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter in jovial fashion to demand Mikel Arteta’s inclusion in the Gunners’ Premier League squad, after Chelsea astonishingly included Petr Cech in theirs for the 2020/21 campaign.
The Blues named the 38-year-old in the squad as emergency cover for Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy according to the BBC, despite the fact he retired after the 2018/19 season.
Cech has since been working as Chelsea’s technical and performance director, and Frank Lampard described the decision to include his ex-teammate in the squad as a ‘no-brainer’.
The BBC quote him as saying: ‘We had a space this year, and Covid makes this a year like no other. He’s very fit, he’s still relatively young, and he finished playing when he possibly could have carried on.
‘It’s a total no-brainer to have him in the squad.’
As a result of the shock inclusion, a number of Arsenal fans have jokingly called on Arteta to include himself in the squad.
One fan said that it wouldn’t be such a bad idea given the lack of creativity in the Gunners’ squad, while another said that, if Thomas Partey hadn’t been signed, then Arteta’s name might’ve ended up on the list.
Like Cech, the Arsenal boss is only 38 years of age, which isn’t actually that old in modern day football – Gianluigi Buffon is still playing, and he’s 42!
In all seriousness, Arteta probably still has a lot of talent. His game was never one which relied on pace or athleticism, but more one focused on technical ability, late entries into the box and a fantastic footballing brain.
The Spaniard made 438 appearances throughout his career, scoring 58 goals and setting up a further 49.
It would be unbelievable if Arteta did name himself in the squad, but purely for entertainment purposes, we’d love to see it happen.
Let’s see what the Arsenal fans on Twitter have been saying…
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