Gabriel Martinelli earned his first Premier League start since August against Chelsea and gave Mikel Arteta a lot to think about.
After slipping down the pecking order since his incredible 2022/23 season, Martinelli has had to be patient with his minutes.
Against Chelsea, the Arsenal manager gave the Brazilian a rare start, seeing him replace the injured Leandro Trossard on the left side.
Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that Arsenal missed Trossard against Chelsea, as the left side was, once again, a problem position for the Gunners.
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Gabriel Martinelli sent a message to Mikel Arteta during Chelsea draw
Choosing between Martinelli and Trossard was a problem for Arteta, and while that issue seems to have been resolved, another has arisen as a result.
Trossard is comfortably ahead of Martinelli in the pecking order, even more so after what unfolded against Chelsea.
| Gabriel Martinelli vs Chelsea |
| 1 shot |
| 16 touches |
| 0 successful dribbles |
| 5 passes completed |
| 0/5 duels won |
| 9x possession lost |
Martinelli was completely ineffective against Chelsea, failing to influence the game during his 57 minutes on the pitch.
It’s so clear that the winger is at his most dangerous when he comes off the bench, as at Stamford Bridge, nothing was working on the left side.
The problem of the left wing only grew against Chelsea, as when Noni Madueke replaced Martinelli, he was no more impactful than his teammate, resulting in him switching over to the right, where he’s more comfortable.
Andrea Berta might have to resolve Arsenal’s left-wing issue
The Chelsea hangover leaves Arteta with a question to answer that was looming throughout the summer transfer window.
What does the future hold for Arsenal’s left side? Because after the Chelsea draw, it’s clear that the in-house solutions won’t cut it long-term.
Could Kenan Yildiz be the final piece of the puzzle at Arsenal?
Madueke prefers the right side and is better there, Trossard is unavailable at present, Martinelli isn’t reliable as a starter, and Eberechi Eze is clearly not a winger.
While Eze and Madueke were brought in in the summer to ease the issue on the left, it’s still not working for Arsenal, which should give Andrea Berta something to consider in January.
The sporting director has already shown how proactively he works, which could pave the way for a left-sided signing this winter.
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