Arsenal moved six points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings after beating Fulham 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly started the fixture, replacing Martin Zubimendi in the midfield.
He impressed as the Gunners recorded a second consecutive league victory, earning praise of manager Mikel Arteta. Arteta said ‘he really stepped up’, and ‘had an incredible performance.’
He also made a positive impression on pundit Gary Lineker, who feels he should be ahead of Zubimendi in the pecking order.
“I am going to throw something in here because I think it’s a fundamental difference between the Arsenal that we have seen in recent weeks,” he said on the of The Rest is Football podcast.
“No disrespect to Martin Zubimendi , but he’s a cautious player. He is a defensive midfield player, and he is a player that predominantly knocks it back. I thought Myles Lewis-Skelly came in, in a midfield position, not like a left-back, in a midfield position, and his first thought is to turn and look forward, and quickly, and I think that really enabled Arsenal to get it forward quicker.
“And obviously it was a bit of a plan that pushed the wingers higher, and Saka was getting the ball in time to actually take someone on. And I think it made a fundamental difference, and I think that’s quite interesting because he’s a young player, we’ve known him as a full-back, but in that midfield area, and I think the way he was so positive and moving forward.
“Rice is a different kind of player in the sense that he’s probably at his best when he’s running with the ball, but he’s also not really a player that tends to look for forward passes particularly quickly either. So, I think he really helped them.”
Arteta should not drop Zubimendi for Lewis-Skelly against Atletico
Zubimendi has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent performers this season and should not be dropped for a big game such as Tuesday’s showdown against Atletico.
Zubimendi has been hardworking, covering 11.6 km per 90 in the Champions League this season. Only five Arsenal players boast a higher figure than the Spaniard.
He ranks second for accurate passes per game, showing his tidiness. He ranks joint second for big chances created and fourth for key passes per game, indicating that he is not a ‘cautious player’ as claimed by Lineker.
Zubimendi has also chipped in with two goal involvements, the same as Lewis-Skelly.
The Spaniard’s familiarity with Atletico, playing against them 12 times, could also help the Gunners as they seek to reach the Champions League final for the second time.
Arteta needs his most experienced and trusted legs against Diego Simeone’s side. Zubimendi is one of them and should not be dropped for the fixture.
Stats from transfermarkt.com & sofascore.com
