'You have to': Paul Merson says £50m Arsenal player is tailor-made to torment Tottenham and must start

09/13/2024 02:55 AM

Arsenal are gearing up for their return to Premier League action in probably the most intense fixture – outside of the title rival games – of their season.

The Gunners head to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to contest a North London derby in which the stakes are already so high for both teams.

Arsenal dropped points against Brighton before the international break, a result which sees them trailing to a Manchester City side with a perfect record.

Meanwhile, Tottenham only have four points to show for their efforts so far this season, despite their dominance in all three games.

Although Arsenal have a number of key players absent, Paul Merson feels they have an ace up their sleeve whose style of play will be perfect against Spurs.

Paul Merson urges Arsenal to start Raheem Sterling against Tottenham

The player in question is Raheem Sterling, who signed for Arsenal late on during transfer deadline day.

As per BBC Sport, the England international cost Chelsea £50million in 2022, but they opted to offload him this summer, with the Gunners eagerly snapping him up on loan.

Merson, writing on Sky Sports, explained how Arsenal should line up to take advantage of Tottenham’s increasingly polarising high line.

“In my opinion, Mikel Arteta has now got to drop Kai Havertz back into the midfield but then there’s no Gabriel Jesus to play as the striker,” wrote Merson.

“They will probably end up playing with a false nine – that should be Leandro Trossard with Raheem Sterling on the wing.

“Against this Tottenham team, you have to have players who are prepared to run without the ball to get in behind a high line and Sterling does that.”

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Sterling eager to repay Arteta faith against arch-rivals

Sterling joined Arsenal on loan from Chelsea right at the end of transfer deadline day. Indeed, the Sterling to Arsenal deal was confirmed after 11pm.

The England international is one of the most decorated English players in recent memory during his time with Manchester City.

Sterling will now be eager to repay Mikel Arteta's faith – the two worked together at Man City – and help get Arsenal’s title challenge back on track.

There is no better way for him to do so than to deliver a solid performance en route to victory over the Gunners’ arch-rivals.