Mikel Arteta has come under heavy fire after a terrible evening in which the Gunners’ FA Cup run against Liverpool terminated at the first hurdle.
Nearly two years after Omari Hutchinson‘s departure, Mikel Arteta has been instructed to “free” Arsenal’s young players.
The midfielder earned his first professional deal in 2020 after spending seven years in the Gunners’ development system. Hutchinson never saw action as a first-team player; the closest he got was a bench spot during an FA Cup loss to Nottingham Forest in January 2022.
In the end, Hutchinson left the Emirates that summer to join Chelsea, a rival team in London. He is currently playing on loan for Championship contenders Ipswich, who are vying for promotion.
Following the Gunners’ FA Cup loss at the hands of Liverpool, his brother Oshaye has now criticized Arteta for the lack of opportunities given to the club’s youth. Seven graduates of the Arsenal academy were named in the matchday squad, but only well-established first-team players were given playing time; players like Ethan Nwaneri, Lino Sousa, and Reuell Walters were all benched.
Oshaye posted on Instagram, saying: “Some people should apologize to my brother.” All the insults and hate mail he got after leaving Arsenal. I’m hoping everyone can see why!
“Youth games were played by Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Spurs. Arsenal failed to do so. I feel bad for my young player at Arsenal. Release the men.
Hutchinson has played a few games for Chelsea since leaving Arsenal, and he has also netted three goals in 25 games for his adopted team, Ipswich. When it came to his reasons for leaving the Gunners, he had no regrets.
The midfielder stated, “I was at Arsenal from 11 to playing for the under-23s,” in an interview with The Athletic. It was a tough decision to go because I had a lot of friends there and the coaching staff is great.
There, I always felt loved. The fans were all eager for me to break through into the starting lineup. However, things weren’t just meant to work out.
