Arsenal information: Mikel Arteta ‘does not belief’ duo as Viktor Gyokeres set for awkward reunion
Arsenal are top of the Premier League and progressing in the Champions League, but Paul Merson believes Mikel Arteta must show more faith in Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze as the Gunners chase silverware
Mikel Arteta’s won on Sunday
Arsenal will require every bit of personnel they can gather if Mikel Arteta is to deliver the Premier League crown back to the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners are perched at the summit currently but with Manchester City hot on their heels.
The north London outfit have been outstanding domestically and across Europe this campaign. Arteta is eager to maintain this streak of exceptional form as he targets a maiden league triumph since 2004.
He recently implored the squad to stay focused as they approach the business end. Here, Daily Star Sport has some of the latest surrounding the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta ‘doesn’t trust’ Arsenal duo
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Paul Merson believes Arteta lacks the necessary confidence in Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze to deliver in the crucial moments. Both Eze and Gyokeres recently netted doubles against rivals Spurs, and Merson was swift to highlight how brilliantly they complement each other.
On Sky Sports, he said: “Yeah, he put Saka in there against Wolves. It’s a hard position to play, the 10. You don’t just put someone in there and go, ‘Oh, you do what you want and make something happen.’ You’ve got to find pockets, and Eze is very good at that,” reports the Mirror.
“I think that’s what he was bought for, to get in there those little pockets; if you get him on the ball he can turn, he’s elegant, he goes past people like they’re not there. That game (the north London derby) was perfect for Arteta – they win the game 4-1 and Gyokeres gets two goals and Eze scores two.
“I mean, if you could pick two players to get the goals, those would be it. If these two hit fire until the end of the season, Arsenal win the league. If they can go and be 8/10 every week…
But when asked if Arteta does have faith in the duo, Merson added: “No, I don’t think he does [with] a lot of people. I think Arteta plays on sparks where he’ll watch someone do something wrong and, ‘Oh, you’re out of the team.’
“We saw it with [Riccardo] Calafiori not too long ago; he had a nightmare game, gets ripped off, don’t play again. Eze gets caught on the far post against [Matty] Cash at Villa, don’t really play again. You’ve got to give them a chance, trust in them more, these players. I don’t think he does that enough in my opinion.”
Viktor Gyokeres could face awkward reunion
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings
Viktor Gyokeres might encounter former club Sporting CP in the Champions League. The Sweden international moved to the Gunners last summer from the Portuguese outfit in a transfer valued at up to £64million, penning a five-year deal.
The drama between Gyokeres and Sporting was heavily scrutinised last year after the former Brighton striker refused to report back for pre-season preparations in Portugal in a bid to compel the club’s decision.
The 27-year-old even turned to Instagram to voice his irritations as he stated: “There’s a lot of talk at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right.”
Now, he might encounter an uncomfortable confrontation with Sporting in Europe should both sides advance beyond their round of 16 adversaries. Arsenal meet Leverkusen whilst the Liga Portugal outfit will clash with soaring Bodo-Glimt in a two-legged encounter.
Should both teams triumph, they will square off in the Champions League quarter-finals. Despite the difficulties last summer, Sporting boss Rui Borges previously maintained there are no hard feelings and he wishes the forward success.
He stated: “Hurt? No. Honestly, I wasn’t hurt. That’s football. It’s part of football. There are arrivals and departures. We have to know how to deal with it. We have to readjust all the time. He was a very important player, not only this season.
“I wish him the best of luck in the world, he marked an era in our football. He will be missed in his own way. We will have other players. We will continue to be competitive. Players come and go, but the club remains. Others will come in and become great and better and better.”
