Mikel Arteta has been advised to make a significant change to his Arsenal starting line-up for this weekend's pivotal Premier League trip to face Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Aliadiere's 'tough' call for the right wing
Former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere has publicly urged the Gunners' boss to take Noni Madueke out of the side and restore Bukayo Saka to the starting eleven. The recommendation comes despite Madueke's positive contribution in the 2-0 victory over Brentford on Wednesday night.
Madueke, 23, started that match on the right flank and played for 61 minutes, providing a clever backheel in the build-up to Mikel Merino's opening goal. However, his replacement, Saka, came off the bench to score Arsenal's second in the 91st minute, intensifying the debate over who should start against Unai Emery's side.
"That's a tough one," Aliadiere told Metro when asked about the selection dilemma. "I personally would start Saka. As much as Madueke has done really well, he's been out for a while (with a knee injury) so you don't want to put too much on him straight away."
Squad depth provides Arteta with a luxury
Aliadiere praised Arteta's management of his squad this season, highlighting the newfound strength in depth which allows for such rotation. He pointed out that the presence of two high-quality options for the right-wing role is a positive problem for the manager to have.
"The luxury this season is having great players off the bench or when there's injuries, one can step in," he said. "We've missed that at Arsenal the last few years. A few years ago, we'd have never seen Saka on the bench being rested. Now, it's not a shock to see Saka on the bench and Madueke playing because of how well he's been doing."
He also suggested that Arteta could potentially field both players in certain matches, with Madueke switching to the left side of the attack.
Merino's form makes him undroppable
The discussion also turned to the striker position, where summer signing Viktor Gyokeres is returning from a muscle injury. Aliadiere, however, believes the in-form Mikel Merino should keep his place leading the line.
"When you've got Merino scoring in pretty much every game at the moment, and such important goals every time, I think it would be quite harsh to put him on the bench," he argued, while acknowledging Arteta would assess both players' fitness ahead of the game.
Aliadiere also commented on Villa striker Ollie Watkins, who has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal in the past. He believes the England forward will have a point to prove at Villa Park on Saturday.
"Yes, 100 per cent," he stated. "When you've been linked with a move to a big club and you don't end up getting it, of course. For you to make it happen you've got to score goals, important goals against the top teams and make an impact."
The Gunners' match against Aston Villa kicks off at 5:30 PM on Saturday, December 6th, 2025.
