Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has now taken aim at Gabriel Martinelli after his recent performance against Everton.
Arsenal were held to a goalless draw by Everton on Saturday afternoon, further damaging their Premier League title hopes.
Mikel Arteta believes that Arsenal deserved to win the game, and the Gunners certainly dominated possession and territory, but lacked cutting edge in the final third.
Everton deserve credit for how they handled Arsenal, and defended with discipline, but the hosts’ attackers poor decision making in front of goal was also a major problem.
Thierry Henry takes aim at Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli has come under fire from Arsenal fans recently, and his form has not been of the standard required.
Analysing the Brazilian winger’s performance against the Toffees on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football (16/12/2024), Thierry Henry examined examples of the player’s decision making.
The Frenchman picked out an example of Martinelli choosing to take on a shot on his weaker left foot, rather than cut inside onto his right.
He said: “People say Arsenal didn’t create. You did create, it’s the choice that you didn’t take. Martinelli knows that if he dummies with his shoulder here and goes inside, he has one tap-in, two tap-in, three tap-in even about now, if he goes inside. That [going outside] was the last thing he should’ve done, going on your wrong foot for a shot and Tarkowski blocks it.”
Does Mikel Arteta need to replace Martinelli at Arsenal?
There can be no doubting Martinelli’s raw natural talent, he has shone in the Premier League for Arsenal before, but that was some time ago now.
The 23-year-old has failed to progress as expected and looks bereft of confidence. Whilst Arteta clearly still has faith in the player, Arsenal cannot afford to carry any passengers if they are to get where they are aiming to go, and the manager must show that he can be ruthless.
Unless Martinelli can significantly improve his form and output between now and the end of the season, then the Gunners must seriously consider replacing him in the summer transfer window.
In the meantime, there is an argument that Raheem Sterling deserves a real chance to show what he can do at Arsenal and should come into the starting XI at Martinelli’s expense.
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