‘Please’: Kevin Campbell urges Pep Guardiola to start 28-year-old tonight, says Arsenal can exploit him

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Kevin Campbell really wants to see John Stones starting for Manchester City against Arsenal this evening, backing Gabriel Martinelli to get the better of the defender.

Campbell urged Pep Guardiola to start Stones on the Highbury Squad YouTube channel.

Stones has been playing as a right-back for City recently, but with Kyle Walker possessing much more pace than the former Everton man, many believe that he could come back into the team for this game.

However, Campbell, an Arsenal fan himself, has urged Pep Guardiola to pick Stones instead of Walker in the hope that Martinelli can exploit Stones’ lack of pace compared to Walker.

Please start Stones

Campbell urged Guardiola to pick the 28-year-old.

“Would you rather John Stones started at right back or Kyle Walker?” Campbell was asked.

“I would take Stones all day long against Martinelli please. All day long let me tell you, all day long. Let him be chasing Martinelli. We have to feed our wide men, whoever is getting the better of their opponent, we have to get it to them,” Campbell says.

Plenty of joy

John Stones is a tough defender in his own right, but you have to imagine that Martinelli will get more joy against him than he would against Walker.

Walker is, quite simply, impossible to outpace, and while Stones is no slouch himself, he’s not got that same lightning speed that someone like Walker, or, more importantly, Martinelli has.

If the Brazilian can get one on one with Stones tonight, he could use his pace to leave him for dead, especially if City do play a high line as they usually do.

This will be an intriguing tactical battle between two of the best in the business, and it will be interesting to see how both Guardiola and Arteta decide to line up for this season-defining clash of the titans.