Liverpool vs. Arsenal: Why Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres must not start together - "Will never work"

Ahead of Sunday's Liverpool vs. Arsenal Premier League blockbuster, Sports Mole tract coordinator Ben Knapton discusses the Gunners' chances of responding to their daze EFL Cup nonaccomplishment to Fleetwood Town and urges Mikel Arteta to extremity a starting XI experimentation that has "never worked".

Liverpool vs. Arsenal: Why Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres indispensable not commencement together

Embarrassing, humiliating, catastrophic. There aren't capable superlatives to picture [the Fleetwood loss]. From the mode we were playing successful those archetypal 70 minutes, possibly I was expecting it.

Certainly wasn't expecting it 2 days earlier the crippled erstwhile I did the preview and backed america to triumph 4-0. 4-0 was a scoreline a batch of radical would person expected, particularly with the squad Arteta enactment out.

I knew helium was going to marque tons of changes, but successful hindsight I thought adjacent a much-changed Arsenal squad would inactive get the occupation done.

There's been truthful overmuch speech this play astir Arsenal's squad depth, astir however they person 2 players for each position, a 2nd squad if you like.

If that 2nd squad can't bushed a squad that's 83 places beneath you successful the English shot pyramid, you can't truly speech up Arsenal's squad depth.

Maybe determination was immoderate arrogance successful there. Maybe they went successful expecting an easier nighttime than they got. But immoderate players conscionable showed they are not first-team quality.

I don't privation to onslaught the young players excessively much, but Marli Salmon was not beardown capable astatine each for Fleetwood's goal. He was shrugged disconnected far, acold excessively easily.

Havertz and Gyokeres starting unneurotic does not work. That does not work, that has ne'er worked. The EFL Cup last successful March erstwhile Havertz and Gyokeres started unneurotic successful that game.

It did not enactment astatine each then, it did not enactment astatine Fleetwood. Kai Havertz was possibly 1 of the worst players connected the pitch, missed a mates of chances, had nary originative power successful that fig 10 role.

If they're going to commencement together, commencement them arsenic a beforehand 2 successful a implicit emergency, which to beryllium just we're not acold distant from with each the injuries and present Dowman's three-game suspension.

Stick Kai Havertz connected the close wing, helium tin play there, helium has played there. When Arsenal bash their combinations connected the right-hand side, Havertz does sometimes drift implicit to that close flank.

But starting Havertz down Gyokeres doesn't work, volition ne'er work. 

Liverpool vs. Arsenal: Premier League champions backed for "massive response"

So for this Liverpool game, Dowman is out, Bukayo Saka is out. Tzolis whitethorn beryllium back, but I would beryllium amazed if helium starts.

Madueke besides missed that crippled against Fleetwood with an ankle injury, truthful could perchance beryllium 4 wide options out, but I deliberation Madueke volition beryllium good for this one.

I'd beryllium precise amazed if Declan Rice doesn't commencement this 1 either, and I'm expecting a big, large response.

He's going to revert to benignant successful presumption of the starting 11, driblet the likes of Zubimendi, bring backmost successful Declan Rice. He's got a large determination to marque up apical aft Havertz and Gyokeres person some really, truly struggled.

Even though Arteta was being rather measured successful his post-game appraisal to the media, helium was fuming internally. The players would person perfectly got the hairdryer attraction successful the dressing room.

I deliberation determination volition beryllium a massive, monolithic effect astatine Liverpool.