Mikel Arteta Calls for Expanded Matchday Squads in Premier League

Mikel Arteta is tired of leaving good players at home. Now he wants the Premier League to change the rules so he no longer has to.

On the eve of Arsenal’s clash with Aston Villa, the Spaniard renewed his appeal to league officials, urging them to expand matchday squads beyond the current limit of nine substitutes. For him, this is no tactical tweak. It is a question of “player welfare” and basic fairness inside a dressing room packed with international talent.

A Big Squad, Small Bench

The Premier League raised the number of substitutes from seven to nine during the Covid-19 era, and kept it there. For most managers, that was progress. For Arteta, it is no longer enough.

His squad is deep, arguably as deep as any in the division. That strength has come with a cost. Established names such as Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus have already found themselves cut from matchday squads this season. Not rested. Not rotated. Simply not involved.

Arteta sees the fallout up close. Players train all week, travel, commit, then discover they are not even allowed to sit on the bench.

“That is why I have been begging Premier League officials to extend those numbers just for the safety of the players, which is the most important thing,” he said, underlining that the physical and mental strain of the modern calendar demands more than 20 active options.

He argued that every top side now needs a larger group available on matchdays “to maintain the level of demand in the international matches we face”. The rules, though, have not kept pace. “These are the rules, and within these rules, we have to play,” he admitted.

Human Cost of a Numbers Game

Behind the statistics lies a human problem that clearly irritates him. Those “difficult” conversations with players who would rather be with their teammates than watching on television at home are becoming a regular part of his week.

Arteta believes the players’ voices should drive the debate.

“The question should be put to the players more than anyone else,” he said. “What do they want? If they say: no, I would rather stay at home, then we will have a problem because they will not like what they are doing.”

He is convinced the answer is obvious. “I am sure that if you ask the players, everyone would want to be part of the team on matchday,” he added. The alternative is brutal: telling a fully fit professional that he is not even part of the squad. “That is extremely hard. And it will not benefit anyone.”

In Arteta’s eyes, exclusion damages everything. It weakens the club, skews the assessment of a player’s contribution, and chips away at a sense of belonging. “This does not benefit the club, nor does it benefit the assessment of the player, nor does it help them feel part of it,” he said. “In my opinion, it is a real problem and it has a very simple solution.”

A Simple Fix, If the League Bites

That solution, as he sees it, is straightforward: let managers name more players on a matchday. No complex reforms. No radical experiments. Just more seats on the bench so no fit senior player is left at home.

The timing of his plea is no accident. Arsenal are fighting on multiple fronts, the schedule is relentless, and the margins are thin. Arteta wants every weapon he has to feel involved, ready, and valued.

The Premier League now has a choice: hold the line at nine substitutes, or respond to one of its leading managers, who insists the modern game has outgrown the old limits.