"He’s supposed to be a top-drawer manager" - Paul Merson urges Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to alter his team's style of play in certain games

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta; [inset] Paul Merson.

Two-time English top-flight winner Paul Merson has urged Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to switch up his tactics when the situation demands it. Merson's comments came in the aftermath of the Gunners' 3-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on May 12.

Spurs looked content with hitting Arteta's side with pace on the counter and eventually succeeded. However, they also got a huge helping hand from their opponents. Rob Holding was sent off in the first half, leaving the Gunners with ten men for close to 60 minutes.

Tottenham notably dropped points against Brighton & Hove Albion as well as Brentford in the lead-up to their match against Arsenal. Merson believes Arteta could have deployed tactics similar to that of Brighton, who stifled Antonio Conte's side by defending deep to pick up a 1-0 away win.

The former Gunners midfielder said on Sky Sports (as quoted by Just Arsenal):

“He’s [Arteta's] supposed to be a top-drawer manager. We all know Tottenham are one of the best teams in the world at counter-attacking football. They’ve drawn with Liverpool twice and done the double over Manchester City.”

Defeat.

⚪ 3-0 🔴 (FT)

#TOTARS https://t.co/OIqTcYPUMR

Merson added:

“Why don’t they play that way [like Brighton did in North London]? Why do you have to go out with this ‘we’re going to play the right way, this is the way football is played’.”

The defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium put the Gunners' hopes of a top-four finish in jeopardy. By the end of the game, they were just a point clear of fifth-placed Spurs, who have since moved above Arteta's side.

Arsenal drop to 5th place after Tottenham beat Burnley

Arsenal's one-point advantage was wiped out by Tottenham on Sunday, who earned a hard-fought win at home against relegation-threatened Burnley. Harry Kane scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot deep into first-half stoppage time to seal a crucial win.

Three more points

One game to go https://t.co/nf93UpKnVu

Spurs moved up to fourth in the Premier League standings with 68 points from 37 games. They are two clear of Arteta's side, who play Newcastle United at St. James' Park tonight (May 16). It will be a tricky fixture for the Gunners, as the Magpies have won four of their last six games, with their only defeats coming against Liverpool and Manchester City.

Arsenal will then close out their season with a home fixture against Everton, while Spurs will take on already-relegated Norwich City in their final league game.