Ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League title clash with Manchester City, there are calls for Raheem Sterling to start ahead of Gabriel Martinelli in Mikel Arteta’s attack.
The forward made his debut for the Gunners in Sunday’s North London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur when he replaced the Brazilian in the 80th minute. Sterling was signed on deadline day on loan from Chelsea, reuniting with Arteta after working with him previously at Man City.
Martinelli’s form has dipped of late and the Brazilian has struggled to replicate the heights achieved by Bukayo Saka on the opposite flank. The 23-year-old has not scored or assisted yet this season while Saka contributed to five goals – one goal and four assists – already.
Against Tottenham, Martinelli squandered a huge opportunity when one-on-one with Guglielmo Vicario. He struggled to make an impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and there is now a possibility that Arteta will look to start Sterling at the Etihad Stadium.
“We need wingers with ability to go one vs one, to attack the spaces, to have the work rate, to increase the goal threat from every position and we have players who can play in various positions in the front line, especially because we have some injuries there,” Arteta said when quizzed on where Martinelli sits in his pecking order.
“In the past we have to be protected and all the players we have here have these qualities.”
Arteta has already hinted at bringing Sterling into the starting XI. Before he signed, Sterling didn’t seem to be on Arsenal’s radar but the Spaniard has revealed how it didn’t take long to develop a keenness to bring him to the club.
“The first call I had with him, I knew in the first 10 seconds we had to bring him because he really wanted it,” he said. “He looks great. He’s got a lot of energy, a smile on his face and he’s at it.
“He wants to prove a point and when someone’s got that in his belly you sense it straight away. Obviously I don’t need to know anything else about his quality and what he can bring to the team.”
He added: “What I see is hunger. He’s a player that wants to play every minute of every game.
“When that’s not the case, he’s not happy. He wants to play every single day and I see that. His commitment and the level of energy that he’s bringing to the team is a big boost. You can feel it walking through the door. We are better with him. He’s gonna make us better.
“He has this ability [to score goals] and the credit to that is him and the players he’s got around him certainly. He has that intuition and that will do that. I’m sure it’s going to help the team.”
