Paul Merson told Mikel Arteta to drop Mikel Merino – and play Raheem Sterling against PSV.
Arsenal takes the Dutch direction on Tuesday evening in the first stage of their Champions League Last-16 draw. The Gunners are engaged in an attacking injury crisis prior to the game with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are all still excluded.
In the meantime, the Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino has been fed up with as a striker and scores twice as a replacement in Arsenal's Dramatric victory against Leicester. But Arsenal Legend Merson does not believe that Merino in Arteta's thinking should be versus PSV.
Instead, he encouraged the Arsenal boss to select Raheem Sterling to lead the line, despite the fact that the On-Loan Chelsea man scored only once this season. Merson said on Sky Sports: “This would be a nice draw for Arsenal if they had a full team, but without firepower now, I don't see them blowing PSV away.
“It has turned into a difficult tie. Arsenal did not succeed in scoring in their last two games and they only scored against Leicester, who have left goals in the last 10 minutes.
“I hope that Mikel Arteta will stop playing Mikel Merino. I can't get my head around it. I know he came up against Leicester and scored twice, but Leicester is Leicester, they are not very good.
“I would play Raheem Sterling in the front. He is lively. Defenders will like to play against Merino every day of the week. He is not a center ahead. At least Sterling was played there earlier.
“This will be a dangerous game. I would expect Arsenal to go through it, but I don't think it's an just as much conclusion as what it was. I see it going a long way. “
And although Merson gave his advice to Arteta prior to their Clash Last -16 collision of the Champions League, he cannot see his former side and this season claim the trophy -which means that it would be another campaign without silverware in front of the side of Noord -London.
“The title race has disappeared and this is now their season, but even after it they are right against it.” he added. “They still have to play Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals and really would surpass Arsenal.
“Then they have to play Liverpool or anyone in the semi -final. It is probably easier to win the competition and they are 13 points behind. You can send a bad 45 minutes out of the game. I don't see Arsenal blowing away in 45 minutes. Arsenal just doesn't have the firepower to do that. '
Comments