‘It’s a risk’: Chris Sutton now says there’s two Arsenal players Mikel Arteta definitely shouldn’t start tonight
Chris Sutton has now said that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta shouldn’t start Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli this evening.
Sutton was speaking on the Football Daily podcast, and was previewing the Gunners’ Europa League tie later today.
The tie is in the balance after Arsenal and Sporting CP drew 2-2 in Lisbon last week.
Mikel Arteta has been cautious about rotating his side too much outside of the Premier League.
His starting line-up in the league virtually never changes, but even in the cup competitions some of the key men have barely had a rest.
Sutton has now suggested that Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli need to be protected tonight.
The pair have proved to be absolutely essential to the way Arsenal play this season.
They’ve both already reached double figures for goals in the Premier League, and have plenty of assists too.
Sutton respects how Arteta is taking every competition seriously this season
But the time might have come to fully focus on what could be a historic Premier League campaign.
Sutton urges Arteta not to start Saka and Martinelli
Speaking on the Football Daily podcast, Sutton said: “The game away in Lisbon, he started Saka, he started Martinelli.
“If you’re an Arsenal fan you’ll be looking at things and you’ll saying, that’s great.
“But Arsenal are in such an incredible position in the league, if Saka or Martinelli, two enormous players for Arsenal, got injured then that’s not good.”
Mark Chapman added: “They could also just get injured in training,” to which Sutton replied: “There’s still a greater risk come on.
“It’s a risk that at this moment in time I don’t think is worth taking, and I’m all for manager going full hilt in all competitions, trying to win everything.
“Arsenal may dominate the Premier League for years I don’t necessarily think they will but this is a one-off season.
“This is an opportunity where they’re nearly over the line in the league, week after week they are consistent, they’re proving everybody wrong.
Saka will hope if he does feature today, it goes better than Arsenal training did, after being embarrassed in front of his teammates.
The 21-year-old superstar will be in the mix for player of the season, but may need a break tonight.
Sutton believes Martinelli is in the same boat as Saka, although at least Arteta has been swapping him with January signing Leandro Trossard.
Arsenal fans will be counting down the games until the end of the season now.
The young wingers are both going to be vital as the campaign reaches its conclusion.
