Arsenal face a Premier League blockbuster on matchday five as Manchester City visit the Emirates.
Last season’s 5-1 win over Man City is a thing of the past, as Pep Guardiola’s side look as though they’re finally rediscovering their rhythm.
That being said, Arsenal might have an advantage over City due to the difference in preparation times, with Guardiola’s squad facing a tough Champions League test against Napoli on Thursday night.
The Gunners, on the other hand, played on Tuesday evening against Athletic Club, a game that has given Mikel Arteta a lot to think about regarding selection.
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Danny Murphy thinks Mikel Arteta could disappoint Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli
Arsenal’s squad depth has been celebrated already this season, with the work over the summer transfer window being hailed as a result of the options Arteta now has.
Against Athletic Club, Gabriel Martinelli won the game, coming off the bench to replace Eberechi Eze to instantly score and then provide an assist for fellow substitute Leandro Trossard.
A selection headache is something Arteta will love to have after last season’s struggles; however, Danny Murphy doesn’t necessarily think the Arsenal manager will have a tough call to make against City.
Speaking on talkSPORT’s Outspoken with White & Jordan, Murphy spoke about rewarding Martinelli and Trossard after their impact against Bilbao.
“Which is fine if Martinelli and Trossard start at the weekend,” he began.
“At Liverpool, we had a situation where the big games came, and we still had basically the same team. So the lads would be disappointed. He’s got that at Arsenal,” Murphy said.
The pundit suggested that he suspects Arteta will keep Martinelli and Trossard among the substitutes against Man City.
“Arsenal will have a consistent 11 in the big games, more or less, if everyone’s fit, I would imagine.
“So the players will still be deflated. But that type of narrative he’s talking about goes out to keep everybody sweet.”
Murphy thinks Arteta now faces a battle from one extreme to the other, going from not having room for rotation to having to juggle keeping his players in good spirits amid competition for starting spots.
Martinelli and Trossard shouldn’t start against Man City
The way that the Arsenal squad reacted to Martinelli’s goal against Athletic Club opened the door to some of the struggles the Brazilian might’ve been experiencing amid a lot of criticism.
At the San Mames, the winger did his job, but Arteta must go a step further and reinforce the standard required.
What made Martinelli’s cameo against Bilbao so special was the hunger he had to deliver, to prove doubters wrong.
Arteta must continue to keep the 24-year-old at that level, which, harshly, involves a longer wait to return to the starting XI.
Starting either of the pair against Man City would be a mistake, not merely for the reason of competition, but also because of the alternate impact the duo can provide.
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