Former Arsenal defender, Martin Keown has named three players he want manager Mikel Arteta to play against Tottenham Hotspur.
Keown also suggested that Arsenal should replicate the approach taken by Newcastle United when they play Tottenham in Sunday’s Premier League derby.
He believes that the speedy Gabriel Martinelli could be a vital asset for Arsenal in the match against Spurs.
Recall that Newcastle United had gone man-to-man against Tottenham, pressing aggressively and winning the ball up the pitch in their previous match, which led to their 4-0 victory over Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Tottenham’s defensive line was exposed by Newcastle’s fast forwards.
However, Keown believes that Arsenal should adopt a similar strategy and utilise the pace of Martinelli on the left and Bukayo Saka on the right, along with Martin Odegaard’s ball playing abilities to get behind the high defensive line of Tottenham.
“It is extremely unlikely that Tottenham will change their tactics for this one,” Keown wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
“They are a team who prioritise attacking over defending, even when they go down to nine men!
“Ange Postecoglou’s philosophy is to push players up the pitch and that inevitably leaves a high defensive line.
“That was dismantled in Tottenham’s last game by Newcastle’s lightning-fast forwards and, with that in mind, Arteta may pick Gabriel Martinelli to make his first Premier League start in nearly two months.
“His pace could be vital on the left alongside the speed of Bukayo Saka on the right, and they will be capable of latching on to Martin Odegaard’s balls in behind.”
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