The Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stood by his decisions to substitute the goalscorer Olivier Giroud in the match against Aston Villa, while he also kept the star midfielder Jack Wilshere on the bench for the full course of the 90 min as well. Arsenal were involved in a disappointing 0-0 draw with Aston Villa during the weekend. This result once again put them numerous points behind the leaders Manchester United even at this early stage in the season. They look to be heading for another season without a Premier league title. However, criticism for Wenger has come in the form of his decisions during the Aston Villa match.

Wenger decided to take off the striker Olivier Giroud for a defensive midfielder for match. Meanwhile, he also did not elect to use the star midfielder Jack Wilshere throughout the match, even though Arsenal were chasing one goal that would have given them three points in the match. Arsenal fans were extremely displeased after the match because they were coming up against an Aston Villa side that was recently beaten 5-0 by Manchester City. Wenger has defended his decision by saying that Jack Wilshere had just played two games in the space of four days. He has just recently returned from a long-term injury problem.

“Jack Wilshere has played three or four games in quick succession so I decided to give him a breather on Saturday. It’s a relief that he’s had no setback since he came back. He had a little inflammation but I think the rest will help him to get rid of it. Apart from that, he’s done very well. He’s not played for 17 months, people forget what that means – it’s massive. I’m very happy with the way he progresses,” said Wenger after the match.