Did Mikel Arteta get his strategy wrong at Everton? Premier League hits and misses

3 April 2025, 13:41 | Updated: 6 April 2025, 10:38

Did Arteta get it wrong at Everton?

Mikel Arteta's priorities could be seen in his team selection against Everton. With Liverpool effectively out of sight at the top of the Premier League, the trip to Goodison Park was used as preparation for Tuesday's all-important Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid, who lost 2-1 at home to Valencia on Saturday.

There were five changes from the 2-1 win over Fulham. Thomas Partey was given a breather as an unused substitute, while Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard were only used off the bench to conserve their energy. Bukayo Saka, meanwhile, continued to build towards a start, coming on at half-time after a 30-minute cameo on his comeback in midweek.

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