'He's responsible': Tim Sherwood suggests Arsenal are actually missing a player like £34m Liverpool midfielder

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Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal suffered a hammer blow to their hopes of winning the Premier League title this season by drawing 2-2 against Aston Villa.

Leading 2-0 until the 60th minute, thanks to goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz, Arsenal were cruising.

Mikel Arteta’s side were the superior side and by some distance as they seemed to be on their way to a routine victory.

But the hosts let Aston Villa back into the game, firstly through Youri Tielemans after his late run into the box was seemingly not spotted by Mikel Merino before he headed the ball past David Raya.

Eight minutes later, Thomas Partey lost track of Ollie Watkins, who darted past him and fired a volley past Raya to help Villa stage a heroic comeback against the Gunners.

Unai Emery admitted Arsenal are dangerous at home and as a result, he was proud of his players after their spirited fightback. Havertz’s late goal against Aston Villa was chalked off in what could have been the winner had Merino’s strike not struck the German’s arm and rightly been deemed as a handball offence.

Arsenal told they miss a midfielder like Ryan Gravenberch after draw vs Aston Villa

Mikel Arteta will be frustrated by the nature of the result as his side capitulated in a game that they had to win at the very least after Liverpool’s 2-0 victory against Brentford.

Merino and Partey’s defensive mistakes will be stinging Arteta as the goals his side conceded were avoidable if the midfield duo showed more awareness. while defending both crosses.

Tim Sherwood suggested that Arsenal’s contest against Aston Villa showed to him that they are missing a midfielder like Ryan Gravenberch.

Sherwood told Premier League Productions live after the game: “They’re chasing one team, which is Liverpool and I put myself and I look at them two goals there, [Mikel] Merino for the first one, Thomas Partey for the second one and I look at how Liverpool would’ve dealt with that and all I see is [Ryan] Gravenberch.”

“Gravenberch does the ugly side of the game. He’s responsible, he sees it, he helps out his defenders, I think these Arsenal players play for themselves too much, oh yeah, that’s my job, I’m a midfield player, I feel for Thomas because he’s not a right-back.”

Tim Sherwood called both Partey and Merino out as he feels the pair do not look like they are willing to leave everything on the pitch for Arsenal, unlike Gravenberch, who has even surprised Arne Slot with how excellent he is defensively.

The former Aston Villa boss continued: “They’ve asked him to do a job because of the injury problems they have. But you need to be diligent, you need to do your job, you need to be responsible for your team. Unfortunately, the two midfield players, one playing right-back is Thomas Partey have cost them today because they haven’t been willing to put their bodies on the line and do their jobs properly.”

“They’re just intent at just waiting to get the ball forward and then they want to join in. We can all want to join in and play and go forward and create chances and score goals. Sometimes, you have to put tackles in, you have to get goal side, you have to head the ball out of the box, they’re not doing that well enough.”

“Whereas Gravenberch for Liverpool is doing all that and more.”

Gravenberch has been tremendous this season and if Liverpool, who have a six-point lead over Arsenal at the top of the league table manage to win the title, his role as the side’s anchor will be heralded for years to come.

Jurrien Timber seems pally with Gravenberch and at the very least, he would perhaps have thoroughly enjoyed playing with the £34.2 million (Sky Sports) man at Arsenal but the Dutchmen are competing against each other for the title.

Thomas Partey and Mikel Merino stats in Arsenal vs Aston Villa

Partey has been key for Arsenal this season but against Villa, he let himself down.

Not only for Watkins’ goal but the Ghanaian international’s all-round display as a makeshift right-back was far from impressive. Here were Partey’s statistics from the contest, which do not make for good reading to say the least.

Ultimately, statistics can never tell the full picture but it is concerning for Mikel Arteta that such a seasoned midfielder lost the ball 18 times, misplaced 13 passes and was culpable for one of the goals.

Arsenal had concerns about signing Merino and those worries seem justified as he has struggled to get up to speed with Premier League football despite having previously played in England for Newcastle. The former Real Sociedad midfielder’s statistics indicate that he too had a mixed game.

The European Championship winner did not necessarily have a poor game, as the numbers indicate.

But perhaps Arsenal did not necessarily need a midfielder like Merino who is not creative in the slightest as it is well-known how much they rely on Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard going forward.

In Gravenberch, Liverpool have a player who is brilliant defensively but is comfortable playing in advanced areas as well.

As a result, Tim Sherwood’s suggestion is a fair one.