Mikel Arteta told Arsenal duo can win them the title - but he 'doesn't trust' them

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Former Arsenal star Paul Merson has questioned whether Mikel Arteta fully trusts Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres to deliver in crucial moments for the team during their Premier League title challenge.

It comes as the Gunners are facing mounting pressure from Pep Guardiola and Manchester City , having witnessed their advantage at the summit drastically reduced in recent weeks. Disappointing stalemates against Wolves and Brentford, alongside a loss to Manchester United , have all affected the north London outfit, with the title race now wide open.

With a demanding fixture list approaching, which includes a London derby against rivals Chelsea , it'll be the moment for numerous pivotal Arsenal players to step forward and deliver. That will also hinge on how they are handled by Arteta, with certain stars requiring confidence to feature on the pitch and make a difference.

Two of those are summer acquisitions Eze and Gyokeres, who have both enjoyed promising spells, but are seeking some regularity in their displays. Merson believes that the duo thrive from playing alongside one another, as he said on Sky Sports ' Soccer Saturday: "Yeah, he put Saka in there against Wolves. It's a hard position to play, the ten.

"You don't just put someone in there and go 'oh you do what you want and make something happen'. You've got to find pockets and Eze is very good at that. I think that's what he was bought for, to get in there those little pockets; if you get him on the ball he can turn, he's elegant, he goes past people like they're not there.

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"That game [North London Derby] was perfect for Arteta - they win the game 4-1 and Gyokeres gets two goals and Eze scores two. I mean, if you could pick two players to get the goals, those would be it. If these two hit fire until the end of the season, Arsenal win the league. If they can go and be 8/10 every week.

"Because we said at the start, when Eze got bought: he was the X-factor and going to be the one who got them over the line, I still think that's the case as long as he plays and Arteta trusts him."

Merson then questioned whether the manager genuinely trusts the duo, as he went on to say: "No, I don't think he does a lot of people. I think Arteta plays on sparks where he'll watch someone do something wrong and 'oh you're out of the team'.

"We saw it with Calafiori not too long ago; he had a nightmare game, gets ripped off, don't play again. Eze gets caught on the far post against Cash at Villa, don't really play again. You've got to give them a chance, trust in them more, these players, I don't think he does that enough in my opinion."

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It remains uncertain precisely how much confidence Arteta will invest in Eze and Gyokeres, who will be hoping that their showings in the North London Derby can propel them towards fresh heights. For Eze, the encounter was another demonstration of his capacity to appear at the crucial moment to provide a finishing flourish to an attack.

Given his hat-trick against Tottenham in the reverse fixture, it's evident that he possesses the ability to deliver a crucial moment. The question now is whether he can reproduce this repeatedly when it truly counts in the Premier League title race, with every point now vital to their challenge at the summit.

As for Gyokeres, numerous observers have suggested that his showing against Spurs was his finest yet in an Arsenal shirt. Not only were there goals to celebrate, but the comprehensive link-up play left many impressed with the Swedish international, optimistic that he can now mirror that performance going forward.

"Well, I think one thing leads to another," Arteta said on Gyokeres' form. "When you score the first one, or the performance is good, you have more time with your teammates, you understand the games, the opponents, the league better, everything helps.

"We know his qualities, he's undoubtedly an incredible striker. We need to feed into his quality, we need to understand him better, he needs to understand the team and the league better, and I think we are on the right trajectory."

If that trajectory proves correct for the summer additions, then they will assist in propelling Arsenal towards the finish line this season.