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Arsenal legend David Seaman has advised Mikel Arteta to make a decisive call in attack and drop Mikel Merino for Wednesday’s Premier League fixture against Brentford.
The Gunners left Stamford Bridge with a 1-1 draw on Sunday, preserving their six-point cushion over Chelsea.
Coming off a derby win against Tottenham and a demanding Champions League tie with Bayern Munich, the result was manageable, even if Arsenal failed to capitalise on playing against 10 men.
Seaman: start Gyokeres, not Merino
With Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus available again, Arteta has a full set of attacking options as he prepares for the midweek test.
Merino, who has covered the No.9 role effectively in recent weeks and scored the equaliser with a trademark far-post header, has been praised for his tactical versatility.
However, Seaman believes the £32million Spaniard should step aside.
“When you look at Merino, he’s more of a false nine, he drops back quite a lot,” Seaman told talkSPORT.
“When you’ve got Gyokeres in there he’s an out-and-out striker. He gives you that option of holding the ball up and letting us get out.”
He acknowledged Merino’s reliability but insisted Gyokeres offers the profile Arsenal need in key games.
“If that’s what you want to do then Merino stays in there, but for me I’d play Gyokeres,” he added.
Carragher echoes the call
Jamie Carragher supported Seaman’s assessment, arguing that both Merino and Kai Havertz fit the fluid, midfield-heavy system Arteta has built, but Gyokeres provides a more traditional focal point.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: “I always thought if he was fit, Havertz would be the centre-forward in this team, maybe not Gyokeres. Gyokeres came on today and was probably disappointed he didn’t get the winner.”
Carragher noted that the coming weeks will reveal Arteta’s long-term preference:
“It will be interesting to see how long it takes Arteta to put Gyokeres fully back into the team or if he sticks with Merino because he’s been absolutely outstanding when Gyokeres has been out.”
Arteta now faces a frontline selection dilemma as Arsenal enter a congested stretch of fixtures.