Arsenal are still in prime position to claim the Premier League title this season and Mikel Arteta has been sent an instruction ahead of this week’s clash with Brentford
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta has Arsenal at the top of the Premier League(Image: Getty Images)
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Mikel Arteta has been told to make Kai Havertz his number one striker for the rest of the season. The Arsenal boss has a wealth of attacking options ahead of Thursday evening’s clash with Brentford, albeit none of them have fully convinced.
Viktor Gyokeres has endured an inconsistent debut season since his arrival from Sporting Lisbon but still managed to score twice in the win against Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium. Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have both returned to action recently from long-term issues.
The German has scored recently against Kairat and Chelsea, while Jesus also has recent goals against Inter Milan and Leeds. Former Premier League forward Emile Heskey has suggested that Havertz should be the man leading the line out of the three from now on.
Speaking to aGamble, he said: “I love watching Kai Havertz play and he should be Mikel Arteta ’s main man up front. Even when he was being heavily criticised, I watched his movements closely and while they were subtle, they were always deliberate.
“He creates space not only for himself, but others, which shows he’s selfless and considers what might be best for the team rather than just him as an individual - which is very easy to do as a forward.
“Havertz is also returning to this Arsenal side at the right time; Mikel Arteta needs all the players he can get, because by being in all four competition, he’ll need squad depth and reliable forwards.
“We're coming towards the business end of the season, and given his experience, Arsenal will need players like Havertz in the dressing room and on the pitch to produce performances worthy of winning trophies.”
Heskey’s comments come just days after former Arsenal star Paul Merson claimed that Arteta still had an issue over his starting forward. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “He just can’t get it right at the moment Arteta with what to do. If he plays Jesus like he did against Manchester United and he struggled.
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta has Arsenal at the top of the Premier League(Image: Getty Images)
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“Then the week after he plays Gyokeres and he struggles then Jesus comes on. This time Jesus plays, he struggles then Gyokeres comes on and scores. It’s a real hard one in terms of what to do at the moment because whoever starts doesn’t really perform, it’s the one who comes on as sub.
"Both of them are very hardworking, they grind down defenders. When the other one comes on with 20 minutes to go the centre halves are tired and beaten up."
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