Journalist James McNicholas has now urged Mikel Arteta to hand a start to one Arsenal star against Bayern Munich tonight.
Mikel Arteta has a number of difficult selection issues to contend with when naming his Arsenal starting XI to take on Bayern Munich.
The Gunners need to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa and get back to their best in Germany if they are to stand any chance of progressing to the Champions League semi-finals.
After the first-leg of this quarter-final tie, the score is delicately poised at 2-2 on aggregate, meaning that this is a must-win game for the North London club at the Allianz Arena.
Mikel Arteta faces crucial Arsenal selection challenge
One of the key areas of concern for Arteta when it comes to picking his team for this crucial continental clash is at left-back. Jakub Kiwior struggled in that role in the first-leg and was replaced by Oleksandr Zinchenko at half-time at the Emirates Stadium.
The Ukrainian was then given the nod to start against Aston Villa on Sunday and endured a torrid time. Zinchenko was even booed off the pitch by some Arsenal fans when he was withdrawn from the action late on.
Given the quality that Bayern Munich possess in the wide areas, it is vital that Arteta gets this call correct. Therefore, he has been encouraged to put his faith in Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Why Takehiro Tomiyasu should start for Arsenal v Bayern Munich
Speaking on the Handbrake Off podcast, James McNicholas said, “I think it’s time we give Tomiyasu a go. I do think Tomiyasu is the best one-on-one defender we have, probably, in the full-back positions. I think he’s the logical choice, I just hope he’s fit enough.”
Tomiyasu has barely featured for Arsenal this season. Due to injuries and international duty, the Japanese defender only has 17 Premier League outings under his belt, and only five of those games have come as starts.
He was able to get some vital minutes under his belt on Sunday when he thrown into the action in the 67th minute.
At his best, Tomiyasu is an excellent, reliable defender. Whether he is physically ready for the test waiting for Arsenal in Munich remains to be seen, but if he is fit to start this match then Arteta should seriously consider installing him at left-back.
The player himself needs to prove that he can deliver when called upon. Arsenal recently handed Tomiyasu a new contract. He must now show that he can put his fitness issues behind him and kick on.
