Paul Merson sends warning to Mikel Arteta over starting £75m Arsenal star

Paul Merson fears Bruno Guimaraes may not be suitable to start against certain Premier League teams after the Arsenal star’s poor performance against Brighton.

Arsenal’s perfect start to the season came to an end on Saturday as they were thrashed 3-0 by the Seagulls, allowing Manchester City to move three points ahead at the top of the table.

After impressive cameos off the bench against Aston Villa and Sunderland, Guimaraes was handed his first Premier League start since his £75million transfer from Newcastle United.

Though all of the Gunners struggled at the Amex, the Brazil midfielder came under much criticism, with Merson singling him out for being ‘a million miles off it’.

The Arsenal legend doubled down in his latest column for Sky Sports, writing: ‘I’d like to ask Mikel Arteta what his thinking was behind playing Bruno Guimaraes over Myles Lewis-Skelly at Brighton.

‘I don’t know if he thought it would be a nice football match, that Brighton would be tired after coming from 2-0 down against Manchester United on Wednesday?

‘It just didn’t work. Arsenal got outrun, they got overpowered in midfield, they got ripped to shreds.’

Merson then suggested that while Guimaraes can be a key asset when playing against defence-minded teams, the 28-year-old may struggle against more intense sides who relentlessly press.

‘Bruno’s a good footballer,’ the former England international added. ‘If you’re playing a low block, I don’t see the problem in playing him.

‘When you’re going to dominate the ball, there’s no-one like him when you have time. He’s a good player and passer – and he’s very intelligent.

‘I just wonder if Arteta was sitting on the coach on the way back thinking: “I’ve got that one wrong.”

‘When Bruno came on as a sub against Aston Villa a few weeks ago, he was outstanding. He could just keep the ball, pop it around, play one-twos and play the game at his tempo. That would have been a better idea.

‘I’m not blaming Bruno for Arsenal losing, absolutely not. I just didn’t know why Arteta had to change the team in a very difficult game.

‘But it doesn’t matter how good you are. You can be an international footballer and have all the accolades around you but if people get close to you and make you have to put your head down, it’s a completely and utterly different football match.’

Following the three week international break, Arsenal host Leeds United on October 10.

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