Arsenal are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League right now. But with Manchester City lurking just behind them, Mikel Arteta needs every single player firing on all cylinders.
The Gunners have been brilliant this season, both in the league and in Europe. They topped their Champions League group and now face Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16 this March.
Arteta recently spoke about staying focused during this crucial period. "We have to live in the present and the present is beautiful," he said. "We are exactly where we want to be in every competition."
But not everyone thinks Arteta is handling his squad rotation correctly. Paul Merson has some concerns about the Arsenal boss and how he's using certain players.
Merson Questions Arteta's Trust in Star Players
The former Arsenal midfielder thinks Arteta doesn't have enough faith in Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze. Both players recently bagged braces against Tottenham in a massive 4-1 win.
Speaking on Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday, Merson praised how the duo complement each other. "If these two hit fire until the end of the season, Arsenal win the league," he said. "If they can go and be 8/10 every week."
Eze was brought in to be that X-factor player who could unlock defenses in tight games. He's elegant on the ball and can glide past defenders like they're not even there.
For punters looking at Arsenal's title chances, the form of Gyokeres and Eze could be crucial. If Arteta doesn't give them consistent game time, it might affect the Gunners' odds of holding off City in the run-in.
But Merson doesn't think Arteta trusts them enough. "I don't think he does a lot of people," Merson explained. "I think Arteta plays on sparks where he'll watch someone do something wrong and, 'Oh, you're out of the team.'"
He pointed to examples like Riccardo Calafiori having one bad game and then being dropped. Same with Eze getting caught out against Aston Villa and barely playing afterward.
Gyokeres Could Face Awkward Sporting Reunion
Meanwhile, there's an interesting subplot brewing in the Champions League. Gyokeres might face his former club Sporting CP if both teams progress to the quarter-finals.
The Swedish striker joined Arsenal last summer for £64 million after a controversial exit from Portugal. He didn't return to pre-season training at Sporting, which caused quite a stir.
Gyokeres even vented on Instagram at the time: "There's a lot of talk at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right."
Now he could come face-to-face with his old club. Arsenal play Leverkusen while Sporting take on Bodo-Glimt in the round of 16. Win both ties and they'll meet in the quarters.
Sporting's manager Rui Borges insisted there's no hard feelings about Gyokeres leaving. "I wish him the best of luck in the world, he marked an era in our football," Borges said.
But he added that those good wishes would disappear if they meet in Europe. That potential matchup could add extra spice to an already dramatic Champions League campaign for Arsenal.
