Leandro Trossard popped up at key moments for Arsenal once again, scoring the decisive goal in the Gunners’ 2-0 win at Villa Park yesterday.
The Belgian scored a string of vital goals in big games last season, including against Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Porto and Bayern Munich. Now he has another. His good form may threaten Gabriel Martinelli’s place in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI this season.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli is facing a crisis of form, and it’s becoming a major problem for manager Mikel Arteta to solve.
The 23-year-old’s poor display against Aston Villa, where he had fewer touches than goalkeeper David Raya and gave away the ball 11 times, has raised concerns about his starting position.
Leandro Trossard’s impressive performance off the bench, scoring a goal within two minutes of coming on, has pushed Martinelli for a starting spot. Trossard’s efficiency and goal-scoring record make a strong case for him to start ahead of Martinelli.
Arteta has a decision to make, and it may involve bringing in competition for Martinelli on the left wing. Nico Williams, a 22-year-old Spanish winger, is a rumoured target for Arsenal.
Williams had a blistering summer, winning Euro 2024 with Spain, and could provide the necessary competition to push Martinelli to improve. If Williams arrives, Martinelli will have to significantly up his game to maintain his starting position. With Trossard’s form and Williams’ potential arrival, Martinelli’s form is becoming a problem for Arteta to solve.
The Spaniard may have to be ruthless and drop the 23-year-old if Arsenal are to win the Premier League.
The stats do not lie; Martinelli’s passing percentage was the worst of any player to start for Arteta against Villa, and his goal-scoring record is not much better than Williams’. It is time for Martinelli to step up or risk losing his starting spot.
