Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta explains new role star player can take on 'in an emergency'

A much-changed Arsenal team concluded their Champions League group stage campaign with a 1-1 draw in Holland against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night.

The game was a dead rubber, with Arsenal already assured of top spot and PSV certain to finish in second place in Group B, but it gave Mikel Arteta the perfect opportunity to play an experimental team with Reiss Nelson, Aaron Ramsdale and Mohamed Elneny all getting minutes on the field.

Eddie Nketiah combined with Reiss Nelson to score for the Gunners in the first half - but the second period of the game saw Arteta make further adjustments to his team as Declan Rice replaced William Saliba to play in the unorthodox centre back position.

Rice, who started out as a centre back, has played nearly all of his career as a central midfielder where he has captained West Ham and represented the England national team. The 24-year-old, who signed for Arsenal in the summer, is renowned for his excellent reading of the game, along with his energy in the midfield and strong composure on the ball.

However, Arteta feels that Rice also has the capabilities to do a job at centre back for the Gunners when called upon. When explaining his decision, Arteta said: “We are very short at the back and I really wanted to try if something happens, how we’re going to resolve that situation.

“I thought he was really good. He has played there before. We have to try as if we have an emergency, we have to understand and to be sure that we can fill that gap in the right way.”

The Spaniard went on to express his delight at his team’s group stage campaign as the Gunners prepare for the prospect of knockout football at the start of 2024.

He said: “I think overall very, very positive, after six or seven years without being in the competition with a team that doesn’t have a lot of experience. I think we have competed very, very well. I really liked the approach of the team in every single game, the way we try to play and dominated the opponents.

”We’ve had some big results and big experiences as well... overall finishing first with a game to play we have to be really happy, close that chapter, leave it until February and make sure in February when that chapter opens up again we are in the best possible place to compete against another top side.”