Bench him — Arsenal legend urges Arteta to drop £32M signing after Chelsea draw

Arsenal secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, a result that keeps them six points clear of their London rivals.

While dropping two points against a ten-man Chelsea side was not a disaster, especially following a win over Tottenham and a demanding Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, Arteta was left frustrated by the missed opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table.

With Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus returning to the squad, Arteta now has a wealth of attacking options, even before Kai Havertz is fully fit. Mikel Merino has performed admirably as a makeshift forward, scoring the equaliser against Chelsea with a classic far-post header.

Despite Merino's valuable contributions, Seaman believes the time has come for summer signing Gyokeres to lead the line. The former England goalkeeper acknowledged Merino's tactical flexibility but argued for a more traditional striker.

"He has done a decent job, but when you look at Merino, he’s more of a false nine; he drops back quite a lot," Seaman told talkSPORT. "When you’ve got Gyokeres in there, he’s an out-and-out striker. He gives you that option of holding the ball up and letting us get out."

Seaman added, "It's a great option to have. Gyokeres was so close yesterday to getting that match-winner... I think it depends on what sort of style Arsenal are going to play.

"Are they going to play with an out-and-out striker, or do they want to pack the midfield that little bit more? If that’s what you want to do, then Merino stays in there, but for me, I’d play Gyokeres."