‘Stunning’ Arsenal player showed once again that Mikel Arteta keeps playing him in the wrong position

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Mikel Arteta’s substitutions changed the game for Arsenal against Athletic Club in the Champions League.

The Gunners began the game with a strong starting line-up, but the likes of Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres failed to find the back of the net.

Arteta turned to his bench, and Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli were brought on.

Just 36 seconds after the Brazilian came on, he scored a lovely goal to break the deadlock and win the game for Arsenal.

Gabriel Martinelli’s goal showed that his position at Arsenal needs to change

Mikel Arteta has always been adamant that Martinelli’s best position is on the left wing.

The Brazil international has produced several excellent performances in that role for the Gunners, but he has had his struggles there as well.

On Tuesday in the Champions League, Martinelli was brought on as a left winger again, but his goal to open the scoring came from a central position.

Trossard flicked the ball into the former Ituano man’s path, and Martinelli used his pace and skill to drive forward and score. Arteta even described the Brazilian’s move as ‘stunning‘.

That showed once again just how devastating the 24-year-old can be when he plays through the middle – either as a lone striker or with someone else alongside him.

Arsenal fans have been calling for Martinelli’s position to be changed to striker for a long time now, and we are fully behind it again.

With Eze likely to start more often than not on the left, Martinelli should be given opportunities through the middle when Gyokeres needs a break.

We think that will make Arsenal’s attack extremely dangerous, especially in counter-attacking situations like the one in Bilbao on Tuesday.

Mikel Arteta has to change his stance on Gabriel Martinelli

Martinelli’s first games at Arsenal under Unai Emery were as a striker.

The Brazilian, who was a teenager at the time, was absolutely exceptional in his debut season, so much so that Jurgen Klopp branded him as the talent of the century.

However, Arteta has always preferred Martinelli on the left wing.

“He has played (as a striker) a few times. I think Gabi is so good when he’s got the line on his back and he’s facing forward and he has got the goal in the diagonal. I haven’t thought too much about that (playing him as a striker). He’s so comfortable on the left side. I think I see other evolutions more than this one,” he said in December last year.

We think it’s time that Arteta changes that stance and begins to give Martinelli more opportunities through the middle in the coming weeks and months.