Steven Gerrard urges Mikel Arteta to recall Arsenal duo for Atletico Madrid second leg

Steven Gerrard believes Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka need to start 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 in 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 not to have another chance from the spot when Eberechi Eze went down in the box, with referee Danny Makkelie awarding a penalty before reversing his decision after a VAR review.

The Gunners will still fancy their chances of prevailing in the tie and reaching their first Champions League final since 2006, particularly having beaten Atletico 4-0 at the Emirates earlier in the competition.

But Gerrard insisted that Arteta will need more attacking firepower to ensure that result, and urged the Spaniard to start both Eze and Saka next Tuesday after the pair were benched for the first leg.

‘I think in the second leg that have got to get Eze on the pitch,’ he told TNT Sports post-match.

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‘I think 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 should also come into the team for the second leg, Gerrard added: ‘He does for me.

You play your big-game players in the second leg.

‘You can understand them wanting to change and freshen the energy up and change the squad about, but you play your biggest players in the second leg of a Champions League semi-final.’
Gerrard also reserved special praise for Declan Rice, who showed a different side to his game in the first leg when asked to play in a deeper midfield role.

‘I thought he was immense, especially in the first half,’ Gerrard added.

‘He was dominant, in and out of possession, played a slightly different role, slightly deeper.

‘I think he was asked to drop in between the centre halves just to give them the extra man in the build-up because they were pressing with two centre forwards.

‘But I think out of possession, the way he rgains the ball, the way he covers ground, he’s some size and he’s some profile.

I thought it was an outstanding performance from him once again.’
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