Arsenal fans call out Mikel Arteta for ‘disaster’ decision in Shakhtar Donetsk game that could ruin their entire season Arsenal defeated Shakhtar at the Emirates Stadium – but the win may have come at a cost.

Arsenal supporters criticized Mikel Arteta for a ‘disastrous’ decision during the match against Shakhtar Donetsk, which could jeopardize their season. Despite winning 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to an own goal by Shakhtar’s Dmytro Riznyk, fans were unhappy with Arteta’s choices.

Leandro Trossard missed a penalty in the 77th minute, leaving Arsenal with seven points from their first three Champions League group matches. However, a fresh concern arose when Riccardo Calafiori appeared to injure his knee in the second half. Although he initially continued playing, he soon requested to be substituted.

If Calafiori is sidelined, it would be another setback for Arteta, especially with a demanding schedule ahead. Key players like Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka were already unavailable due to injury, heightening worries about the team’s defensive situation.

Full-backs Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu, along with sixth-choice left-back Kieran Tierney, were also out, and while Oleksandr Zinchenko returned from injury, he was only on the bench. Arteta replaced Calafiori with Myles Lewis-Skelly, leaving Jakub Kiwior, another left-back option, unused.

Fans expressed their frustration over Arteta’s decision to keep Calafiori on the field given the team’s injury woes. One fan remarked, “Calafiori was injured because Arteta lacks faith in squad players in situations like this.” Another added, “I genuinely hope Calafiori is fine. But Arteta won’t play younger players unless he has no alternatives.” A third stated, “This is a disaster. I honestly don’t understand why Calafiori was still out there.”