{"id":3782,"date":"2026-03-17T01:36:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T01:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=3782"},"modified":"2026-03-17T01:36:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T01:36:15","slug":"gary-lineker-urges-mikel-arteta-to-drop-arsenal-star-in-champions-league-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=3782","title":{"rendered":"Gary Lineker urges Mikel Arteta to drop Arsenal star in Champions League | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ex-England striker Gary Lineker (Picture: YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gary Lineker says Arsenal are \u2018a bit short up top\u2019 and would benefit from Viktor Gyokeres coming out of the team for the Champions League knockout game against Bayer Leverkusen.<\/p>\n

Arsenal\u2019s hopes of winning a first Champions League title are on the line on Tuesday night as they face Leverkusen in the second leg of their last-16 tie.<\/p>\n

The Gunners were far from at their best in the first leg in Germany and needed a late Kai Havertz penalty to take a 1-1 draw back to the Emirates Stadium.<\/p>\n

Gyokeres started the first leg after improving his goalscoring record since the turn of the year but was subbed off and replaced by Havertz after struggling to make an impact.<\/p>\n

The two Arsenal forwards then traded places for Saturday\u2019s Premier League clash against Everton, with Havertz starting before being replaced by Gyokeres, who came off the bench to break the deadlock.<\/p>\n

Lineker still \u2018prefers\u2019 Havertz leading the line for Arsenal, however, and believes the German should start ahead of Gyokeres in the Champions League.<\/p>\n

\u2018I look at Arsenal and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0hard to be too critical because\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0done so well this season,\u2019 the former England striker said on The Rest is Football podcast.<\/p>\n

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Arsenal forwards Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018But I still think\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0a bit short up top. I prefer Kai Havertz up there, personally, if he can get and stay fit. He\u2019s\u00a0more of a false nine but he gives them a bit\u00a0more\u00a0I think.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s\u00a0one to watch but Arsenal\u00a0are\u00a0going better than everybody else right now,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0in a fabulous position in terms of being in all four competitions.\u2019<\/p>\n

While Arsenal warmed up for Bayer Leverkusen with a crucial win over Everton, the Bundesliga side help Bayern Munich to a 1-1 draw last time out.<\/p>\n

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Asked what he expects from Leverkusen in north London, Arteta said: \u2018Watching them play against Bayern Munich at the weekend, very similar.<\/p>\n

\u2018Really well coached, clear structure. We know what we have to do in front of our crowd. Hopefully we are going to do it.<\/p>\n

\u2018A lot of factors will contribute for us to be in the quarter-finals. We need to have every element in our favour to achieve that.<\/p>\n

\u2018They have a lot of quality individually in a lot of areas of the pitch, and as every team they have their strengths, their weaknesses, and we will try to target them.\u2019<\/p>\n

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