‘He will still play a big part’ – Merson urges Arteta to recall Arsenal star for Atletico Madrid clash | OneFootball

Arsenal legend Paul Merson thinks Viktor Gyokeres will start against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Sweden international, who has scored 18 goals in all competitions this season, was on the bench again as Arsenal beat Newcastle 1-0 on Saturday.

Arteta decided to start Havertz over Gyokeres for their key clash against the Geordies, which saw Eberechi Eze score the only goal of the game to put Arsenal top of the Premier League.

Arsenal are now three points ahead of Manchester City, who have a game in hand, while the Gunners face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

And Merson has urged Arteta to start Gyokeres against the Spanish giants in midweek with the Swede ideal at holding the ball up.

Merson told Sky Sports: “He [Gyokeres] will still play a big part in it [Arsenal’s title run-in].

“For me, he plays in Europe on Wednesday night because he will hold the ball up. Arsenal will be under pressure and it will be a difficult game for them in Madrid.

“That’s when you need Gyokeres to get you a throw in down the touchline, he runs after lost causes.

“The biggest time the whole crowed lifted today was when he cleared the ball from a corner and chased it down there and won it back and it lifted everybody.”

Gyokeres replaced Havertz on 34 minutes with Arsenal legend Ian Wright concerned that the injury the German picked up could be “a lengthy one”.

Wright told Premier League Productions: “I’m quite concerned when you consider he has broken down again.

“You can see how disappointed he is  and you can tell when you see someone walking off like that… you can see the difference in Eze walking off and the difference in Havertz walking off.

“Eze is saying he’s alright and it’s precautionary. But with Havertz, that looks like a lengthy one.”

Reflecting on the result, Arsenal boss Arteta said: “Game one, done! We’ve been talking about that reset after Manchester, and do what is in our hands. We certainly approached the game the right way, started quite well, and scored a beautiful goal.

“We believed it was the right thing to do against the physicality and the way they have adapted to us in set-pieces to try something else. When we did it the first time, the crowd wasn’t very sure about that, it didn’t work out. So, the second time, do you have the courage to do the right thing? And the players did it, we did it. It didn’t work out, he shot but it went off target.

“Then the big question is, do you have the courage to do it again? And the boys did it and I love that. When there’s so much at stake, when it’s tense, when there is doubt and you make decisions, we believed it was the right thing to do and we got rewarded for that behaviour.”