Arsenal hero Paul Merson has urged Mikel Arteta to avoid experimenting with Mikel Merino as a false nine in the wake of Kai Havertz’s season-ending injury.
The Gunners’ already-depleted frontline was dealt another significant blow on Tuesday as it was revealed that Havertz had suffered a torn hamstring while being put through his paces at the club’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
It leaves Arteta’s attacking options desperately thin on the ground, with Gabriel Jesus ruled out for the remainder of the campaign last month and Bukayo Saka still yet to return from surgery on his hamstring.
Havertz’s setback also raises further questions about Arsenal’s failure to bring in a forward while they had the chance during the January transfer window – which Arteta admitted had left him ‘disappointed’.
The German’s absence could open up an opportunity for Raheem Sterling, who has so far struggled to live up to expectations following his loan move from Chelsea last summer.
Meanwhile, The Sun claim that Arteta is considering fielding Merino as a false nine, despite the fact the Spaniard never before taken up the position in his career.
Asked whether replacing Havertz with Merino could work for Arsenal, Merson told Sky Sports News: ‘Not in my book it won’t, not in my book. I don’t like that.
‘I’d probably play Sterling up there. I’d give Sterling a couple of games up there and I say that because of his movement.
‘He can move, Sterling, and he can spread the team, take them that way. As soon as the game starts becoming compact and tight, it plays into other people’s hands.
‘When Arsenal can open the game up and Sterling go that way and spread it and then [Martin] Odegaard can get time on the ball, Nwaneri and Trossard, then I think Arsenal will be alright.
‘But if you start playing a false nine and he starts drifting back… he’s not someone who finds a pass, he’s not a Havertz, he’s not going to score goals.
‘For me, it’s staring you straight in the eye. Put those three [Leandro Trossard, Ethan Nwaneri, Raheem Sterling] up front and probably just tell them to play wherever they want.
‘Manchester City are the only team that have ever played a false nine and that was Manchester City. Everybody’s trying to copy everybody, everybody always seems to be a year behind what Pep Guardiola does, or even more.’
Merson believes Havertz’s devastating injury gives Nwaneri an ‘unbelievable chance’ to step up and make himself a ‘superstar’ in the business end of the season.
‘I just can’t believe what’s happened, I really can’t,’ the former Arsenal and England midfielder added.
‘Only time will tell now [how costly not signing a striker in January will be]. If they go and lose the league by one or two or three points then you can sit there and go, “If Arsenal had bought a striker…”, but only time will tell.
‘If Liverpool had gone and won [against Everton], I don’t care who is playing up front for Arsenal, nine points would have been a long, long, long way for me, unassailable. But now it’s seven. It makes a difference, those two points, and I just think only time will tell.
‘Now, Trossard, Nwaneri and Sterling will be the front three, in my opinion. That’s the way it looks like it’s going to be. You’re going to sit down with Sterling and say, “Right, you’ve got six, seven games, go out, enjoy it, show us what you’ve got and go out and play”.
‘He’s been a bit-part player recently and it’s hard when you’re a bit-part player. You come on or you start and you think, “If I don’t do well in the first 30, 40, 50 minutes then I’ll be coming off after 60”, and people think like that.
‘It’s hard not to if you know you’re one of the ones who is going to come off. Now he’s got to play and hopefully we see the best of Sterling and you never know. Those three might gel.
‘The sky’s the limit for Nwaneri and now he’s going to be in the team on a consistent basis for six or seven games. Who knows? This is what superstars are made of and we never know a superstar until they get a consistent run in the team and he’s got an unbelievable chance.’
Merson was taken aback by Arteta comments on Arsenal’s failure to sign a striker in January but is pleased the club resisted the urge to panic buy.
He continued: ‘I was quite shocked when I heard Mikel Arteta say he wanted to bring a forward in.
‘Arsenal have the money, they look after their Fair Play rules very well, their purses, and, for me, I think I think they should have gone out [and signed someone].
‘But if you don’t get the right player and then in six months’ time you don’t win the league, then you’re thinking, “Oh, I could have got him!”
‘In this day and age, where you can’t go and buy Tom, Dick or Harry anymore. Before, you would go and buy someone for £70m, “Let’s take a chance and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter!”
‘Look at Nicolas Pepe… £70m, it just fizzled away and no one said a word. It’s £70m! Antony at Manchester United… £80m, it just fizzled away and he’s sitting on loan now and no one says a word.
‘Now, I think people are accountable for it and it’s changed. They have to buy well and wait but they’ll be there again next season. Let’s not forget that.’
Should Arsenal try Merino as a false nine?
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Yes
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No
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