Arsenal star who had fewer touches than David Raya vs Man United failed chance to impress Mikel Arteta

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Arsenal reduced the gap on Liverpool to seven points with a win over Manchester United.

The Gunners eased to a 2-0 win over Ruben Amorim’s United at the Emirates in a victory earned from set play.

Arsenal overcame an uneventful first half against Man United to score twice after the interval, with Jurrien Timber and William Saliba getting on the scoresheet.

Mikel Arteta will be impressed by how his players turned the game in their favour however, it wasn’t a memorable outing for every star.

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Gabriel Martinelli disappointed against Man United

Arsenal suffered a double injury scare ahead of the game as both Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori missed out on the action.

Arteta shared an update on Calafiori and Gabriel when questioned about the defensive pairs fitness pre-match.

The double change meant Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko were named in the XI, a lineup that also saw Gabriel Martinelli return. 

Arteta dropped Martinelli against West Ham in favour of Leandro Trossard but changed his mind when United visited.

It was hoped that the Brazilian would take the opportunity to impress the Arsenal manager however, that was far from what unfolded.

Missed chances and little impact on the left have become regular occurrences for the winger, and things were no different at the Emirates on match day 14.

Martinelli had fewer touches than David Raya 

Martinelli has been criticised for his form since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, consistently dipping below the level expected of him. 

Unfortunately, such continued against United as the left-winger was far from impactful before being hooked by Arteta. 

The numbers from the Brazilian’s display against the Red Devils were far from pretty and were in fact rather alarming in some areas. 

For example, goalkeeper David Raya had 46 touches of the ball, 25 more than Martinelli on the night.

The forward also only managed to complete six passes in 71 minutes, making a concerningly minimal impact once again.

Arsenal’s left side could become a real problem in the title race if things don’t improve, with Martinelli’s form needing to be placed under the microscope.