Steven Gerrard believes Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka need to begin for Arsenal in next week’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid.
The tie is finely poised heading into Tuesday’s encounter after Mikel Arteta’s side earned a 1-1 draw against Atletico within the Spanish capital.
Viktor Gyokeres gave Arsenal the lead from the spot before Julian Alvarez converted a penalty of his own following a Ben White handball.
Arsenal were perhaps unlucky to not have one other likelihood from the spot when Eberechi Eze went down within the box, with referee Danny Makkelie awarding a penalty before reversing his decision after a VAR review.
The Gunners will still fancy their possibilities of prevailing within the tie and reaching their first Champions League final since 2006, particularly having beaten Atletico 4-0 on the Emirates earlier within the competition.
But Gerrard insisted that Arteta will need more attacking firepower to be certain that result, and urged the Spaniard to begin each Eze and Saka next Tuesday after the pair were benched for the primary leg.
‘I feel within the second leg that have gotten to get Eze on the pitch,’ he told TNT Sports post-match.
‘I feel he gives hem just that little bit more spark, little bit more power. He just looks that little bit more dangerous for me.’
Asked if Saka also needs to come into the team for the second leg, Gerrard added: ‘He does for me. You play your big-game players within the second leg.
‘You possibly can understand them wanting to alter and freshen the energy up and alter the squad about, but you play your biggest players within the second leg of a Champions League semi-final.’
Gerrard also reserved special praise for Declan Rice, who showed a unique side to his game in the primary leg when asked to play in a deeper midfield role.
‘I assumed he was immense, especially in the primary half,’ Gerrard added. ‘He was dominant, out and in of possession, played a rather different role, barely deeper.
‘I feel he was asked to drop in between the centre halves just to provide them the additional man within the build-up because they were pressing with two centre forwards.
‘But I feel out of possession, the way in which he rgains the ball, the way in which he covers ground, he’s some size and he’s some profile. I assumed it was an excellent performance from him once more.’
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