Paul Merson has suggested that Mikel Arteta made a mistake by not starting Jorginho during Arsenal’s April wobble, which could potentially cost them the Premier League title. The Gunners had been in impressive form for much of the season, but their title challenge began to unravel last month as they dropped points against Liverpool, West Ham, Southampton and Manchester City. Arteta opted to leave January signing Jorginho on the bench against Liverpool and Southampton, only making second-half cameos against Southampton and Manchester City.
Merson believes that Jorginho should have started against Southampton and that his presence would have helped Arsenal keep a clean sheet and create chances. He believes that Jorginho’s quick thinking and ability to find his teammates with the ball is an invaluable skill that often goes unnoticed. The Italian midfielder was man of the match against Newcastle United, where he kept possession and moved the ball around effectively.
Arsenal’s poor form in April has left them one point behind Manchester City with three games remaining. They will face Brighton on Sunday in a crucial match for their title hopes.