Journalist now suggests Mikel Arteta could start £16m Arsenal player against Everton

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Charles Watts has suggested that Mikel Arteta could hand Takehiro Tomiyasu his second start of the season for Arenal on Sunday.

Arsenal face a trip to Everton this weekend and will be looking to pick up a rare three points at Goodison Park.

The Gunners haven’t picked up a win away at Everton in the league since 2017, with Mikel Arteta’s men suffering a 1-0 defeat in Merseyside last season.

Arteta will be hoping to prove a point against his old side on Sunday and it seems he could turn to Takehiro Tomiyasu at full-back.

Watts on Tomiyasu

Speaking in his latest YouTube video, Watts discussed the possibility of Arteta opting for Tomiyasu over Oleksandr Zinchenko. 

“I’d play Zinchenko,” the journalist said. “But again, given what Everton are going to do, given the threat we know they’re going to possess and how they’re going to play, it would not surprise me at all if Tomiyasu comes into contention for this game as well.”

Tomiyasu’s last start for Arsenal came away at Crystal Palace and the Japanese defender was harshly sent off.

The £16 million man picked up two yellow cards on the night, with the second seeming particularly harsh after he made little contact with Jordan Ayew.

Nevertheless, he’s been a reliable option for Arteta over the past couple of seasons and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him feature on Sunday.

Whether that’s from the off remains to be seen, especially as Zinchenko is back to full fitness and Ben White is expected to start at right-back, with Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba in central defence.