Darren Bent has urged Mikel Arteta to drop one key Arsenal player for tonight’s clash against Bayern Munich.
Arsenal face the difficult task of needing a win at the Allianz Arena tonight following last week’s 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners head into the clash off the back of a surprise home defeat to Aston Villa over the weekend.
Mikel Arteta’s side struggled in the final third on Sunday, with the likes of Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka all missing big opportunities in the first half.
The north Londoners were punished by late goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins, leaving them two points off the pace in the race for the Premier League title.
Following a shaky defensive performance in the second half, Darren Bent wants Arteta to change things up for tonight’s clash in Munich.
Bent urges Mikel Arteta to drop Arsenal player vs Bayern
Arteta faces a huge decision when it comes to selecting his left-back tonight.
Oleksandr Zinchenko struggled on his return to the starting XI against Villa as the 27-year-old was caught out of position for Bailey’s opener.
But Jakub Kiwior had a tough evening at the Emirates last week up against Leroy Sane.
However, Bent feels Kiwior simply has to start over Zinchenko this evening due to the Poland international being the ‘better defender’.
“I would go with Kiwior because watching Zinchenko at the weekend, it was a poor performance.,” Bent told talkSPORT. “Kept giving the ball away, trying to nutmeg someone in his own box, nearly getting punished.
“I think Kiwior is a better defender, and yes, you might lose that inverted midfield player, maybe someone who is more comfortable in possession, but I think when you are up against someone like Sane, Gnabry or Coman, first and foremost, your defender has got to be able to defend.
“I have got more confidence in Kiwior doing that or even Tomiyasu rather than Zinchenko. For everything that he gives you going forward, which is brilliant, defensively he is turning into a bit of a liability.”
Takehiro Tomiyasu should start against Bayern
Zinchenko has been struggling for form of late and Kiwior failed to deal with the threat of Sane last time out.
If Arsenal are to pick up a result, it feels vital they keep the former Manchester City man quiet.
Takehiro Tomiyasu would certainly be up to the task as one of the best 1v1 defenders in this current Arsenal side.
Of course, the Japanese defender hasn’t started a game since December due to injuries and his involvement in the Asian Cup.
But Tomiyasu has rarely let the Gunners down and after Sane’s display at the Emirates last week, he feels like the obvious choice for Arteta this evening.
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