Iconic former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has been impressed by one emerging partnership.
Arsenal beat PSG 2-0 in a Champions League encounter at the Emirates Stadium last night.
Mikel Arteta’s side were dominant in the first half, and deserving of their victory.
The decisive goals came from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, but there were impressive performances all over the pitch from those in red and white.
Arsenal fans enjoyed Mikel Merino making his long-awaited debut for the club, whilst William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes were as imperious as ever in the heart of the defence.
Leandro Trossard worked well with Havertz, and pulled the strings effectively in the absence of injured club captain Martin Odegaard, and Thomas Partey gave a good account of himself in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Riccardo Calafiori’s good form endured, and having ended his goal drought against Leicester City last time out, Gabriel Martinelli continued to make progress in this game.
In the case of Martinelli, the upturn in his fortunes may well be linked to the emergence of Calafiori.
Ian Wright hails Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Martinelli partnership
Arsenal legend Ian Wright has been seriously impressed by summer signing Calafiori so far this season.
Speaking on his Wrighty’s House podcast about the £34 million former Bologna man, he said: “He is very good.”
He then continued to add: “Can I say with them two full-backs and Ben White obviously to come back, I’m quite pleased that Ben White is getting the rest he probably needs. To have someone like Timber come in to cover him is fantastic.
“Then, our left side, which I always thought was not activated, even when we tried with Zinchenko, we tried with Kiwior, it’s kind of not worked. Everything we’ve tried, even Timber over that side when we tried it, it doesn’t work.
“With Calafiori… He really does activate Martinelli. Martinelli is a whole different kettle of fish now, going inside, going long… Now it seems like it’s ramped up to another level with Calafiori and what he’s capable of doing. I didn’t know that he had this much in his armoury.”
Why Martinelli and Calafiori work well for Arsenal
Although he is a committed and diligent defender, it has already become obvious to those who follow the North London club that Calafiori’s instinct is to play on the front foot.
He pushed forward at every opportunity, looking to make things happen in the final third. This gives opposition defences something extra to think about, and Calafiori’s presence and movement can create space for Martinelli to exploit.
What’s more, Calafiori is assured and bold on the ball, and will look for the Brazilian winger’s runs. The early signs are encouraging and suggest that this pair could form a devastating partnership under Arteta.
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