Former Gunner turned Sky Sports News pundit Paul Merson has insisted that Arsenal duo Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan do not fit into Unai Emery’s tactics at the club.

A lot has been said about Emery’s new system in the opening two weeks of the season, with Arsenal’s players sometimes looking extremely uncomfortable with adapting.

Ozil struggled to get any foothold in the 3-2 defeat to Chelsea last weekend, and was substituted off after just an hour by Emery.

Mkhitaryan had a better game than the German, but still failed to show the form we know he can produce, and certainly did not look comfortable playing in the new boss’ high up the pitch pressing tactics.

“He hasn’t got the players to have a 20-yard gap between defence and attack, working hard. Ozil and Mkhitaryan are not those type of players,” said Merson via Sky Sports News.

“If you were building a team tomorrow, you’d want to play a high pressing game, work as a team, not to have gaps between the lines, and you’re not buying Ozil and Mkhitaryan.

“If you go the Arsene Wenger way, wanting to play entertaining, free-flowing, great football, then Ozil and Mkhitaryan will walk in any team in the world. But they will not get in teams that want to press!

“I don’t know if the current crop have gone past being able to learn that way of playing. That’s my concern. I don’t mean regarding their age, but in the way they play the game.

“Ozil’s future? I don’t know. I’m a big fan of him, he’s a quality player, but sometimes you watch him and the game passes him by.”

The Gunners have lost their opening two games of the season, but it’s no disaster as they were playing champions Manchester City and fierce rivals Chelsea – who look like a side that could challenge this season.

Merson believes that despite the two defeats, the situation is not a disaster, and that Emery’s men had the chances to put the game to bed.

“Let’s be honest, if Arsenal had put the chances away against Chelsea – and it’s easy to say: ‘Oh that’s a half chance’ – but they had five unbelievable chances at Stamford Bridge.

“If they put those away, they come away from the Bridge winning 7-3, and everyone would be saying: ‘Wow’.

“I thought Emery took a bit of unfair stick from the first game against Man City. Who expected them to beat Man City?

“But on Saturday, you can’t legislate for misses like that, you just can’t. You could have Mourinho, Sir Alex, Wenger, Klopp and Pep on the bench; if you’re missing chances like that you won’t be winning too many games.”