"He’s got to be thrown back in" - Paul Merson urges Mikel Arteta to 'take a chance' with Arsenal star for Chelsea clash
Paul Merson has urged Mikel Arteta to start Martin Odegaard when Arsenal take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this weekend (Sunday, November 10). He believes that the decision can depend on other results but claimed that the captain starting would be a big boost.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson sent a message to Mikel Arteta that Odegaard should play if Liverpool and Manchester City win their matches this weekend. He believes that the Gunners cannot afford to fall further behind in the title race and said:
"I think that comes down to this weekend and the results. Arsenal play second on Super Sunday so they’ll know how Liverpool and City have got on. If they’ve both won then I think Odegaard has got to start the game. Ten and nine points, if both those teams win, that’s a lot of points and, for me, it would be a must-win football match and you take a chance [on Odegaard].
"Otherwise, what do you do? Do you bring him on for the last 20-30 minutes and then he goes and plays for Norway for a couple of games in seven or eight days? Unless he’s not going away with Norway and then maybe you sort of save him. But if not, I think he’s got to be thrown back in. He’s that important to Arsenal."
Odegaard has been out injured since September and made his first appearance for a couple of minutes against Inter Milan on November 6.
The Gunners, meanwhile, are seven points behind leaders Liverpool in the Premier League table going into the weekend. They go into the match against Chelsea after losing 1-0 at San Siro to Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League on November 6.
Mikel Arteta sounds confident ahead of Chelsea vs Arsenal
Mikel Arteta was confident that his players would get the job done when they visit Chelsea this weekend. The Gunners manager was talking to the media after the 1-0 loss to Inter Milan and claimed that his players did everything possible to get the win.
He believes that they will get all three points at Stamford Bridge this Sunday if they put in a similar performance and said (via Metro):
"If we play the way we played against Inter then we have a big chance to win against Chelsea. That’s the way we have to go. I told them that I’m proud of them, I haven’t seen them play in Europe in the manner that we played today. We are very disappointed because we didn’t get what we wanted out of the game, that’s for sure."
Arsenal have picked up just one point in their last three matches and have slipped to fifth in the Premier League. Their opponents Chelsea have the same amount of points as the Gunners but sit fourth because of a better goal difference.