Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is getting almost everything right this season.
The Gunners are on top of the Premier League and Champions League standings, and they have also made it into the final of the Carabao Cup. Arteta’s men are still alive in the FA Cup as well.
If things go their way, Arsenal could become the first English team in history to win the quadruple, which would automatically make Arteta one of the best managers the league has ever seen.
Despite all his good work, Paul Merson thinks the Spaniard still hasn’t figured one thing out.
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Paul Merson says Mikel Arteta has an Arsenal problem that he hasn’t worked out yet
Arsenal’s starting lineup almost picks itself.
David Raya is the first-choice goalkeeper, and the back four of Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori are regular starters as well.
Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi almost always get the nod too, as does Bukayo Saka when he is fit.
The three roles that are up for debate are attacking midfield, left-wing and striker, but recently, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard have made two of those positions their own.
That leaves the centre-forward position, and Merson believes Arteta still has no idea who his first-choice striker is – Viktor Gyokeres or Gabriel Jesus.
Speaking on Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Sunderland, Merson said: “He just can’t get it right at the moment, Arteta, what to do.
“If he plays Jesus like he did against Man United, he struggles. Then, all of a sudden, the week after, he plays Gyokeres, he struggled, and Jesus came on.
“This time (against Sunderland), Jesus plays, struggles, and then Gyokeres comes on and scores. It’s a real hard one what to do at the moment, because whoever starts doesn’t really perform. It’s the one that comes on as a sub.
“Both players, themselves, are very hardworking. They grind down centre-halves. When the other one comes on with 20 minutes to go, the centre-halves are tired, and they are beaten up.”
Use ONE WORD to describe Viktor Gyokeres’ form at Arsenal right now… 👀
Who should Arsenal’s first-choice striker be?
Merson is right, Mikel Arteta has used different options up front for different games recently.
That does suggest that he still doesn’t know who his first-choice number nine is, but it could also be the luxury of having more than one striker.
However, for consistency, the Arsenal manager will need to pick one centre-forward to be his main man, and as good as Jesus is, we think Gyokeres should be the one.
The Swede works tirelessly all game and gives the opposition defenders all sorts of problems. He drags them out of position constantly, thereby making space for his teammates.
To add to all that, Gyokeres is scoring consistently now. No player in the Premier League has scored more goals than him since the turn of the year.
He’s not perfect, but Gyokeres should be Arsenal’s main striker going forward.
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