Arteta said: “The same rationale about why Fabio Vieira played here, or Eddie Nketiah or Gabriel Jesus. I haven’t had a single question on why Gabriel Jesus didn’t start.
“He has won more trophies than anybody else, including me, in that dressing room. I cannot have two players in each position and not play them. David has tremendous qualities, like Aaron has, and we have to use them.”
Arteta then revealed that one of the biggest regrets of his short managerial career so far, is that he wasn’t brave enough to substitute his keeper during a game.
“I am a really young manager and I have only been in the job for three and a half years and I have few regrets in what we have done,” he explained.
“One of them is that on two occasions I felt after 60 minutes and 85 minutes in two games in this period to change the keeper in that moment and I didn’t do it. I didn’t have the courage to do it. And we drew those games and I was so unhappy and someone is going to do it (soon) and maybe it [the reaction] will be, ‘oh! That is strange. Why?’
“Why not? Tell me why not. You have all the qualities in another goalkeeper and you want to do something to change the momentum, do it. It is a regret that I have and my feeling is to get everyone engaged in the team. They have to play regardless of the competition. Do it. That is my message.”
While Arteta was pleased with the character of his side as they produced their first win at Goodison Park in almost six years, Everton boss Sean Dyche was scathing about his side’s lack of quality in the match.
