Arsenal duo named and shamed ahead of Man City clash as weaknesses identified

25 April 2023 , 10:03

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Arsenal legend Paul Merson has handed manager Mikel Arteta a warning over his team selection ahead of Wednesday night's title showdown against Manchester City.

The Gunners meet Pep Guardiola's men at the Etihad knowing that nothing less than a victory will do if they are to stand any chance of ending their 19-year wait for a Premier League title. Whatever happens, Arsenal will still be top of the table come full-time.

However, a defeat for Arteta's side would certainly feel like the title is now well within City's grasp given they would sit just two points behind Arsenal having played two games less. The hosts undeniably go into the third meeting between these two teams this term as favourites.

City have come out on top the last two occasions the pair have faced off, with a 1-0 home win in the FA Cup fourth round soon followed by a 3-1 victory at the Emirates.

With the third and final meeting this season in sight, Arteta has been handed some advice regarding his team selection from a Gunners icon in Merson.

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The former Arsenal ace explained how the decision to play Fabio Vieira instead of January signing Jorginho during Friday night's 3-3 home draw against Southampton backfired and cannot be repeated against City.

Under normal circumstances, Granit Xhaka would have taken up his normal role in the middle of the park against the Saints. However, with the Switzerland international ruled out with illness, Arteta opted to deploy Vieira alongside Thomas Partey.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Arteta take Vieira and/or Holding out of the firing line against City? Comment here

Fabio Vieira's start against Southampton was labelled as a "mistake"

It was a decision that failed to inspire the desired results and Vieira was eventually hooked in place of Leandro Trossard before the hour mark had been reached.

Merson has discussed both Vieira's inclusion and Rob Holding's presence in the Arsenal backline during William Saliba's absence and his comments hardly reflect positively on the pair.

"Arsenal played Fabio Vieira instead of Jorginho last week, and I thought that was unbelievable," he told Sportskeeda. "They've brought Jorginho in to be a calm head in big matches. I didn't think the game against Southampton was a foregone conclusion, and to keep Jorginho on the bench was a big mistake.

"Southampton wouldn't have believed their luck when they saw Jorginho on the bench. He sits in, dictates play, and controls games.

"With Holding playing instead of Saliba, Arsenal needed protection from their midfield - not people getting turned. Arteta hasn't done a lot wrong this season, but he made a mistake there."

While Vieira is expected to return to the bench for the trip to City, Saliba's injury means Holding is almost certain to start once again.

Arteta is likely to heed Merson's warning and try to protect the much-maligned centre-back given the kind of attacking prowess Holding will be up against.