Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw by Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium.
Fans had already accepted that the Premier League title race was over, but the result on Wednesday night all but confirmed it as Liverpool are now just a point away from being crowned champions.
Arsenal were nowhere near their best against Palace at the Emirates. Even though Jakub Kiwior gave them an early lead, they continued to offer chances to the visitors.
That allowed the Eagles to come from behind twice and equalise, but despite that, Arsenal could’ve won the game in stoppage time.
Why Bukayo Saka was furious with Gabriel Martinelli during Arsenal vs Crystal Palace
Bukayo Saka started the game on the bench against Crystal Palace.
The Englishman returned from his serious injury less than a month ago, and Mikel Arteta is being very cautious with him, especially as the priority now is the Champions League.
Saka came on in the second half in place of Raheem Sterling, but the number seven didn’t have as much joy as he would’ve liked.
He came close to scoring once, but Dean Henderson pulled off a tremendous save to deny him.
Then, in the 92nd minute of the game, Kieran Tierney set Gabriel Martinelli through with a very smart throw-in, and that was Arsenal’s big chance to win it.
The Brazilian could’ve easily squared the ball to Saka inside the box, but he took a couple of extra touches to go outside and blasted a wild shot wide of goal.
Saka, unsurprisingly, was furious and could be seen throwing his arms in the air and screaming. He was not happy at all.
Arsenal need Gabriel Martinelli to change one thing
Martinelli is a tremendous talent, and on his day, he can destroy any defender.
But, the Brazil international has been extremely inconsistent over the last two years, and his decision-making often lets him down in the final third.
Martinelli has been a lot better recently, but his decision to shoot instead of passing the ball to Saka on Wednesday night shows that he still has to improve.
Arsenal will be on the market for a new winger this summer. If Martinelli’s consistency levels don’t change, there’s every chance he will lose his place in the side.
That would be a shame, as everyone knows how good he can be.
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