After what has felt like a lifetime, the international break is finally over and Arsenal are back to winning ways.

Mikel Arteta’s side played host to the high-flying Fulham in a Premier League game that’s unlikely to impact the title race but offered the home side a chance to make right their draw at Craven Cottage earlier in the campaign. Fortunately, they did just that, winning the game 2-1.

With a season-defining game against Real Madrid in the Champions League next week, Tuesday evening’s game offered the squad the chance to build positive momentum.

However, to ensure his side are in the best shape possible for that, Arteta might need to make a few changes, such as dropping Mikel Merino.

Arteta's unorthodox options

Before we get to the change up top that we think Arteta should be making, it’s worth examining some of the other potential, if a little unlikely, changes he could make, like throwing the returning Bukayo Saka in from the start.

The Hale Ender has been out of action since late December, but he announced his return to first-team training with a social media post last week. Then, on Monday morning, the manager revealed he was back in contention for Fulham, saying, “Bukayo is ready to go.”

Having the 23-year-old available again is a massive game-changer for the Gunners, as despite not playing for almost four months now, he remains the club’s most productive player this season, with 23 goal involvements in just 24 games.

However, his importance is also why he didn’t start against Fulham and may not even start against Everton at the weekend as losing him again, even for a short spell, would make the club’s chances of progressing in the Champions League far smaller.

Likewise, while there have been some calls to start fellow Hale Ender, Ethan Nwaneri, down the middle in recent weeks, it would probably be best to avoid doing so.

The 18-year-old has played there at youth level and was even touted to eventually move there by the manager, but seven of his eight goals and his only assist have come from him playing off the right or in the middle of the park, and as the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

Moreover, there is another player Arteta should look to start down the middle in place of Merino.

The Arsenal star who should start over Merino

So, the first thing to say is that while Merino hasn’t been Arsenal’s answer over the last few weeks, he hasn’t been too bad, considering he’s a central midfielder being asked to play up top.

However, while his overall haul of five goals and one assist in seven appearances as a striker is quite impressive, the reality is that those goal involvements all came in four vgames.

Then, against West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, he failed to score or assist, making it clear that Arteta needs to replace him with a recognised attacker tonight.

The best candidate for this, from the players available, is undoubtedly Leandro Trossard.

Now, while the £27m Belgian has been a little inconsistent at times this season, he’s proven himself to be deadly in the penalty area over the last couple of years, and if Ian Wright thinks he’s “clinical” and the “best finisher” in the squad, then he must be doing something right.

For example, since joining the club in January 2023, the “sensational” attacker, as dubbed by Arsenal podcaster Adam Keys, has scored 24 goals and provided 20 assists in 112 appearances, totalling 5999 minutes.

That means the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace has averaged a goal involvement every 2.55 games, or every 136.34 minutes at the club.

Furthermore, the 30-year-old “wizard,” as dubbed by journalist Charlie Haffenden, has already played up top for the Gunners, racking up a haul of four goals and eight assists in 15 games, totalling 866 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.25 appearances, or every 72.16 minutes.

Finally, starting the Waterschei-born dynamo down the middle means that Gabriel Martinelli can start in his strongest position off the left, and Nwaneri can start off the right, before Saka comes on late to get some minutes under his belt, therefore making the whole frontline far more intimidating for their opponents.

Appearances

15

Starts

11

Minutes

866′

Goals

4

Assists

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.80

Minutes per Goal Involvement

72.16′

Ultimately, with a big couple of weeks coming up, Arteta needs to make sure his side are in the best shape possible to ensure they can end the season with a bang, and one of the ways to ensure that happens, is starting Trossard in place of Merino.

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