"Great idea" - Gary Lineker takes dig at Piers Morgan's preferred Arsenal forward line statement
Former Leicester City player Gary Lineker has taken a dig at journalist Piers Morgan for his preferred Arsenal frontline for next season.
Morgan had recently tweeted that he would like Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah and Cristiano Ronaldo to be the Gunners' front three next season. However, he didn't include Bukayo Saka in his preferred front three. The 20-year-old is regarded by many as Arsenal's best player.
class talent/experience. And to those who don’t think Ronaldo would come to us, why wouldn’t he? He nearly joined us when he was 18.I’d be very happy if Arsenal’s forward line next season was @gabimartinelli @EddieNketiah9 and @Cristiano - perfect mix of youth, pace & 🐐 class talent/experience. And to those who don’t think Ronaldo would come to us, why wouldn’t he? He nearly joined us when he was 18.
Lineker didn't take kindly to Saka's exclusion, responding to Morgan's tweet that he would gladly take the player at Leicester City. He tweeted:
"Great idea. We'll take Bukayo Saka at LCFC."
🏻 twitter.com/piersmorgan/st…Great idea. We’ll take @BukayoSaka87 at @LCFC 👍🏻 twitter.com/piersmorgan/st…
While Lineker and Morgan's Twitter banter is nothing new, not including Saka in an Arsenal frontline is surprising.
He is their top scorer in the Premier League this season with 11 goals in 35 appearances and has also made six assists. He was voted the club's 'Player of the Season' last year. Nketiah has only recently started firing for the Gunners, scoring all four of his league goals this season in his last four appearances. Martinelli has five goals and five assists in 26 league appearances.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has shown his prowess this season even at the age of 37. He has scored 18 league goals (24 across competitions) for a Manchester United team in disarray.
Arsenal gear up for biggest North London Derby in recent memory
Mikel Arteta's men travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 12 to face off against perhaps their fiercest rivals. Aside from the match being a big derby, its outcome will be hugely significant in the Premier League top-four race.
The Gunners are in pole position for fourth place, sitting fourth, four points above fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, with three games to go. If they win the derby on Thursday, they'll secure fourth place at their rivals' stadium. However, if they lose, Spurs will come within one point of Arsenal with two games remaining.
Arteta's men have beaten Chelsea, Manchester United, West Ham United and Leeds United in their last four games. They have momentum and will be high on confidence.
Spurs, meanwhile, fought bravely to win a point against Liverpool at Anfield in a 1-1 draw on May 8. Buoyed by that performance, they will hope to take all three points at home. Considering what's at stake for both teams, the North London Derby is set to be a massive affair.