2/6 duels won, 0 dribbles: Mikel Arteta must drop 32-touch Arsenal star vs Sunderland

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta should make a big change in the attacking midfield department when the club host Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Gunners booked their spot in the Carabao Cup final following a 4-2 aggregate win over Chelsea. They registered a 1-0 victory in the second leg of the semi-final on Tuesday.

The club’s immediate focus will shift to Saturday’s league encounter against the Black Cats, and Arteta must consider replacing Eberechi Eze in the first XI.

The England international started as the attacking midfielder against the Blues after Martin Odegaard was ruled out of the encounter with a minor muscle injury.

Eze never got into the game during the opening half. He was slightly more involved after the interval, but did not provide an attacking outlet for the Gunners.

The 27-year-old had 32 touches with 21 passes. He won just two out of six duels contested and did not complete a single dribble against Liam Rosenior’s side.

Eze did make five recoveries during the course of the London derby, but much more was expected from the Englishman, who got a rare opportunity to start.

In our view, Arteta must replace him when the Gunners entertain the Black Cats at the Emirates Stadium.

Odegaard does not appear 100 percent fit based on his absence yesterday. Even if the Norwegian is available, we could see Kai Havertz get the nod in the number 10 role.

The German ace has been relishing to watch since his first start of the season against Kairat Almaty after a lengthy knee injury. He grabbed a goal and an assist in that game.

Havertz did not make a goal contribution in his next start against Leeds, but the German scored a dramatic late winner against the Blues during yesterday’s League Cup semi-final tie.

Arteta is known for rewarding players with starts after good performances. Havertz could line up behind Viktor Gyokeres as the Gunners seek a fourth-straight win in all competitions.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com

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