Fabio Vieira should start Sunday’s North London Derby ahead of Kai Havertz.
That is the view of journalist Sam Tighe, who believes Mikel Arteta should award Vieira with his second Premier League start of the season against Tottenham Hotspur.
Brought in in favour of Havertz for last weekend’s 1-0 win against Everton, and then keeping his place for Wednesday night’s 4-0 Champions League thrashing against PSV, Vieira, 23, has been a great addition to the Gunners’ midfield.
However, with the North London Derby fast approaching, Sunday’s blockbuster league clash at the Emirates will present Mikel Arteta with another key decision – keep Vieira in, or recall £65 million summer-signing Havertz to his starting lineup.
And while fans wait to learn what the Spaniard has decided to do, Tighe believes the Arsenal boss should stick with Vieira due to the confidence he has been playing with.
“I would play Fabio Vieira,” Tighe told WhoScored.
“I think he’s certainly done more in the last couple of weeks [than Kai Havertz] to warrant a starting spot and when you consider this game, what it is and what it means to the fans and how aggressive the first 15 to 20 minutes are going to be because of the zip in the play, really what I would be looking for from my starting players is that they’re in good form and have good momentum and have good belief.
“I cannot say Kai Havertz has any of those three things but I can say Fabio Vieira is taking his chances and that every time he gets on the pitch, as a starter or a sub, as an impact player he makes us notice him, and for me, that’s enough. That’s enough for the context of this game.
“I think if Havertz plays, it’d be a little bit unfair on Vieira but it’d also be a signal that [Mikel] Arteta is going to be a little more defensive and cautious than we might have assumed, particularly at home.”
Today’s North London Derby, which is scheduled to kick off at 2 p.m. (UK time), will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
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