With the international break now here, Mikel Arteta faces an important week or so with the all-important North London derby up next in the Premier League.
Tottenham haven’t gotten off to the best of starts with four points from their opening three games.
However, anything can happen on derby day and Arteta certainly won’t be taking any chances after dropping points against Brighton last time out.
Sadly for the Gunners, they’ll be without one of their main men in the form of Declan Rice after he was given his marching orders last time out for kicking the ball away.
His suspension for the derby has left Arteta with a big decision to make, and Charles Watts seems to think he knows who will start in Declan Rice‘s place…
Charles Watts names the Arsenal player ‘most likely’ to replace Declan Rice vs Tottenham
Declan Rice is one of the leaders at Arsenal so to see him miss one of the biggest games of the season will come as a huge blow.
And, it’s fair to say that the Gunners don’t have many options in the middle of midfield. The likes of Jorginho and Thomas Partey are the only fit options.
Interestingly, Charles Watts thinks that Kai Havertz could be the surprise pick to drop back into midfielder, when speaking on his YouTube channel.
“It’s just a huge, huge game and I think the most likely option will be Havertz. I mean you can play Trossard up front and you can play Martinelli on the left and Saka on the right.
“As much as I would prefer Havertz to stay as a central striker, I look around at the squad that Arsenal have with Merino injured and I just don’t really see what other option there is for Arteta”.
Kai Havertz of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion F...
Is Havertz the right choice?
In his 408-game career to date, Havertz has only played in the middle of midfield on 18 occasions, scoring two goals and assisting one.
Arteta doesn’t really have much of a choice unless he turns to Jorginho who hasn’t appeared yet this season, which is a big risk against Tottenham.
Gabriel Jesus has had his injury issues already this season and Havertz has impressed up top for the Gunners in the Premier League, so there’s another risk in itself there.
There is the option to play Leandro Trossard as a false nine with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli either side of him as Charles Watts says.
That may just be the best option for the Gunners as Spurs love to play a high line under Ange Postecoglou, so having Trossard’s pace through the middle could cause them all kinds of problems.
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