Arsenal secured a 1-1 draw away at Liverpool yesterday, but could have scored more as Gabriel Martinelli squandered a good chance in the first half.
The Brazilian winger tried to pounce on a loose ball inside the penalty box after Bukayo Saka was thwarted by Alisson, but placed his shot wide after initially slipping before his chance.
This was one of several poor moments for the winger at Anfield, who was far from his best before being replaced by Leandro Trossard.
It was a frustrating performance from him rather than a quiet one, as he found himself in good positions, with Jamie Carragher describing his movement as “electric,” but failed to execute the right decision in the final third on a number of occasions.
Gabriel Martinelli’s frustrating Anfield display
Martinelli won just three of his nine attempted ground duels, but this was not his main issue at Anfield.
He often found himself with space to run into, but completed just two of six attempted dribbles, and failed to complete a single cross, whilst also registering just one shot.
Martinelli has now been described as a “shadow of himself” by NBC pundit Robbie Mustoe, and it is clear that he is not performing to the level he showed last season.
Oleksandr Zinchenko also had a tough game behind him, and Arsenal’s whole left-side suffered as Liverpool’s main attacks came through Mohamed Salah on that wing.
Martinelli completed just 11 passes and had four touches in the box, and failed to be decisive when presented with space to run into. After what has been a tough start to the season, with just two league goals in what has been an injury-hit campaign, he has not been performing to his best level in recent weeks.
Mikel Arteta should drop Gabriel Martinelli
Martinelli was briefly dropped for Trossard last season after a dip in form, and he subsequently returned to the starting XI and began fully firing.
Mikel Arteta should perhaps rest the 22-year-old in what is a busy period, and with Reiss Nelson performing well in limited appearances, it is now time for the Englishman to come in and Martinelli to drop to the bench.
Arsenal face games against West Ham and Fulham before the New Year, and giving opportunities to Nelson or Trossard in these games could allow Martinelli to rest, whilst potentially adding more goals to the XI.
Trossard replacing Martinelli as a substitute has been a problem at times this season, with the Belgian failing to provide the same pace, but Nelson’s recent performance against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League showed that he could be a more useful option out wide.
Even when Martinelli is not at his best, he offers a speedy outlet for Arsenal’s attack, which is lost when he is not in the team, so Arteta may not be too keen on dropping him, but right now he is off form and could benefit from being taken out of the firing line for a few games.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
