It was difficult to ignore Gabriel Martinelli’s natural ability to score goals when he first appeared on the scene. Martinelli’s natural eye for goal and crisp finishing gave many Premier League supporters hope that he would develop into a world-class striker in the future. Since then, though, he has mostly been used as a winger, a position in which he hasn’t always performed well. This begs the question: In Arsenal’s next game against Tottenham, should Mikel Arteta think about giving Martinelli a chance to start as the No. 9?
Given the absence of Declan Rice and Mikel Merino for Arsenal’s match against Tottenham, Mikel Arteta will probably look to Kai Havertz to fill the left-central midfield (LCM) position. Havertz seems like the perfect fit for that role given his physical presence and recent growth. That still begs the question of who, in such a crucial match, will start at strike leader.
It’s possible that Gabriel Jesus won’t be ready to start in the North London Derby because he has been recovering from an injury. While Arsenal has other attacking options, it’s surprising that Martinelli, the team’s No. 11, hasn’t been considered more seriously for the striker position.
Martinelli may not be playing at his best on the left wing for a number of reasons. One reason for the inconsistent performance could be the instability of the players surrounding him on that side of the field. Furthermore, it has been suggested that Martinelli’s ability to increase his goal contributions has been hampered by Arteta’s instructions for him to play wider and stay farther away from the goal.
Martinelli has also come under fire from former Premier League striker Troy Deeney, who claims that he isn’t doing enough to set up opportunities for his teammates and is instead too preoccupied with scoring goals. However, rather than seeing this as a drawback, Arsenal might be able to capitalize on Martinelli’s goal-hungry nature by assigning him to spearhead the attack against Spurs.
Now that Ange Postecoglou is in charge of Tottenham’s defense, Martinelli’s speed and deadly finishing could be a serious threat. Although Martinelli is undoubtedly a very talented player, it’s also evident that his confidence has recently suffered. Offering him a chance to start as the main striker in such a prominent match might help him regain confidence and score more goals, which would improve his form for the remainder of the campaign.
Leandro Trossard, Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka as an Arsenal front three seems like a dynamic and exciting attacking combination. This combination might give Arsenal the firepower they need to successfully challenge Spurs. Do you think Martinelli should have an opportunity to start at number nine and regain his confidence in such an important match?
