Mikel Arteta urged to bench Arsenal star for Newcastle clash: ‘Wait his turn’ | Football

Mikel Arteta has been urged to keep Viktor Gyokeres on the bench and persist with Kai Havertz for Arsenal’s clash with Newcastle on Saturday.

Havertz was given the nod up front last weekend and got on the scoresheet against Manchester City, but a 2-1 loss saw the title taken out of Arsenal’s hands.

And Pep Guardiola’s side made no mistake in midweek, winning 1-0 against Burnley to leapfrog the Gunners and top the table with just five Premier League matches remaining.

Arsenal have won just one of their last six matches in all competitions, but will take encouragement from an improved performance against City last time out.

And ex-Gunners winger Perry Groves urged Arteta not to tweak with his forward line when Arsenal welcome an out-of-form Newcastle on Saturday evening.

Speaking to Metro via BetGoodwin Casino, he said: ‘I’m a fan of Gyokeres. I’ve stuck up for Gyokeres all season because I like his attitude and the way that he plays.

‘He’s still got his 18 goals. He’s getting used to us, we’re getting used to him, but I think what I liked about the game against Man City, not only did we press, which was aggressive, but we went long quicker.

‘David Raya went long, quick into Havertz on the touchline, on the diagonal, where Havertz could hold it up, or he flicks it on. 

‘And he probably just gives you that little bit more of control, where he’s better at holding it up, so Gyokeres might have to wait his turn.’

On the challenge Newcastle will pose, Groves added: ‘Newcastle will come and try and sit deep. They’re in really bad form at the minute, I think they’ve lost eight out of 11 in the Premier League, but historically, there’s always a needle in Arsenal against Newcastle.

‘So they will come, they will up their game a little bit. Guimaraes will probably come back in, so he’s a big plus for them, but this is all about Arsenal themselves.

‘They can only control themselves and the way they approach the game and their attitude. They can’t control what Newcastle do, you know, whether they press, whether they sit deep.’

‘Graham was calm in ’89 – Arteta must be the same’

Having been part of the Arsenal side that won the league title on the final day back in 1989, Groves knows a thing or two about handling nerves down the final stretch.

And the 61-year-old believes a calmer approach from Arteta will free up his players to get over the line.

‘There’s pressure, he added. ‘It doesn’t matter whether you’re leading the title race or you’re chasing, there’s pressure. But when you’re chasing, it just eases it. When it’s yours to lose, there’s miles more anxiety.

‘George Graham, his leadership qualities were off the scale because you look at your manager and if they’re calm and they’re very chilled, that gives you confidence

‘George Graham was unbelievably cool and he gave us the belief that we could go there and win by two goals [on final day].

‘So Arteta’s got to be exactly the same. He’s got to be calm and have this assurance that he trusts them. He will say to them, ‘I don’t doubt your character because you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think you had character’.

‘So there are loads of small little details that you have to get right, but this is all about the belief of the players.’

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