In the summer, Arsenal expressed a strong desire to sign a dynamic winger who could enhance the Gunners’ winger options. Despite the last-minute signing of Raheem Sterling, his lack of impact thus far suggests the Gunners never truly acquired the winger they desired.
Other than Saka and Martinelli (on a good day), Arsenal don’t have another top winger. Therefore, the possibility of reviving a move for another top winger in 2025 is not ambiguous.
Well, if Gabriel Martinelli was trying to persuade the Gunners not to sign another top winger, who may be a big threat to his starting spot, he couldn’t afford to have performances like the one against Newcastle.
While many have singled out Leandro Trossard’s disaster class on Saturday, Martinelli also performed poorly. In the 61 minutes he was on the pitch, he failed to have a shot on target, and he completed just one successful dribble. Sad to say, but Livramento had him in his pocket all game. The Brazilian failed to rise up to the occasion when he needed to.
He still deserves an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities. However, I believe Arsenal will be wise enough to identify his upgrade come 2025. Similar to Saka on the right wing, the Gunners require a quality winger who can outmuscle his opponent, generate goal-scoring opportunities, and contribute with goals.
The importance of the upcoming winter transfer window for Mikel Arteta is becoming clearer by the day. Arsenal’s decision-makers must make a significant investment in their attack, given its evident lack of quality. Given the almost net zero spend last summer because of the nearly balanced signings and exits, the Gunners have the opportunity to make a significant addition in the summer.
The only question that remains is, which winger will they target? Brentford Bryan Mbeumo and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo are probably the names that come to mind.
Daniel O
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I think we need to upgrade in a number of areas. Martinelli definitely needs to step up and it’s up to him but the same standards should also be applied to the manager.
I have a different view of the team we have been fielding the last few weeks.
It seems that there are other coaches in the EPL (who, to use a phrase from that Manchester group ACE) aren’t quite as dumb as they seem!
They have noticed that if they stop Saka and Martinelli, there is nothing left in our attack!
So, if they double team those two, or in Saka’s case triple team him, then we are blunted.
Trossard is at his best on the left hand side, picking up balls played across or around the box.
Since we are not getting those crosses in, he is forced to create his own chances, which he has found difficult.
We are playing our best DM at right back, why I don’t know.
Rice and Merino are solid midfielders, but they are not good at creating plays, especially when our skilled players are tightly marked.
Since we did NOT get a proper back-up for Odegaard, we will have to suffer through until the big O is fit again.
Nihil Desperandum chaps, we are still in the League cup (or the Moose cup as they refer to it in the States.)
A few things need to happen;
– Jesus, Zink & Sterling need to go
– Gabi & Leo are back up wingers
– New proper LW & ST
– back up for Ode(we had Emile)
– Partey needs back up CDM
I still would like to see how we play with a fully fit squad soon this season.
The rumors regarding Leroy Sane seem to persist, but the one we should have got was Neto who went to Chelsea ( where else?). I had my doubts because of his injuries but he looks great at the moment. We can probably get Mudryk for a fiver now😊. Jokes aside, Martinelli is a major disappointment, he just hasn’t progressed, in fact he has regressed.
Terrible opinion.
Last season was start and stop due to niggling injuries, lack of granit xhaka and zinchenko’s loss of form .
This season he has started to show form again.
Against Newcastle he was isolated , timber who didn’t look fully fit wasn’t playing his usual game, trossard drops too deep and was lost in that midfield . There was no link between midfield and attackers .
Arteta should have really gone for a jorginho, rice and merino midfield.
We haven’t played with our first 11 all season – so stating players need to be upgraded especially at this point is just naive and aftv level mentality
Whichever way you look at those combinations Ad, there is something missing. We really needed a better window, looking for players similar to Canciedo or Neto rather than tired old legs.
Hello everyone.
It is incredible how Arsenal fans mood is volatile and changes week-in week-out.
The problem in Newcastle game wasn’t a problem of names. It was a tactical problem. Newcastle were pushing our wingers wide and double teaming on them. We started well, but unfortunately the Newcastle goal changed the energy and we looked lost on the field, outpowered physically and weren’t able to adapt to the game and find solutions to create chances and dominate the game. We lacked pace and Newcastle cancelled the connections between our lines and committed many fouls to disrupt the game flow. The referee was weak and didn’t control the game and allowed Newcastle to do it.
Blaming the players and calling for an upgrade isn’t going to change the game result. Do you think other wingers would have performed better in this game without tactical tweeks and wothout dominating better the midfield?
Martinelli is doing exactly what his manager requires of him (defend). Same with GJ. Over complicating things his taking it’s toll on on us.
The key quality we look for in attackers is defending and hard work. In defenders, it’s play making.
While you eat analyst saying strikers should get into the box more to score goals , in arsenal, it’s the opposite.
It’s like many that have noted and commented over the seasons. Opposition teams know that our main attacking threat, over recent seasons have been via Saka and Martinelli and as a result make extraneous efforts to keep them quite by double, triple up on them, fouling and disrupting their flow by means more akin to rugby. However, with regards to Martinelli, beyond his speed, he doesn’t have much to offer. He does the same old thing which is head for the goal line where space is non existent or at a premium. Nine times out of ten he fails in that objective and on the rare occasion he is successful, does nothing of note. No deft cross or pick out for a teammate. When he is further away from the goal line and has manage to create an opening for himself from a further distance to cross the ball at that point, he for some reason, like a moth to a light bulb, still wants to go to the goal line. When we play Liverpool the other week Diaz done an amazing run whereby he took on Partey with some skill to get very close to the goal line and even when space was limited Ben White thought he’d had Diaz. Once again with some great skill and deftness, Diaz was around White also when he shouldn’t have been allowed to. It was magic! He has the skills, mobility, strength and technical ability to do that sort of thing anywhere on the wing. Martinelli tries to achieve the same thing but more in hope rather than execution. I guess to offer some fairness to Martinelli. Teams, players and managers have all become much more technically adept in their individual and collective efforts to manage a game. Modern day defenders aren’t the single minded, lumbering beings of old. They can be less slightly built in terms of stature, more quicker more very skillful and able to take on an offensive winger. Players like Ryan Aït-Nouri a skillful, fast and paradoxically offensive defender that are more adept at coping with players like Martinelli. Nowadays, Martinelli has to cope not just with his opposite number (winger) plus an equally wiley defender behind him, in game/team set ups that are designed to nullify his threat. Nonetheless, he has to find a bit more in his box of tricks if he wants to start making inroads in his own personal development and in furthering the offensive threat of the team.