The tale of Gabriel Martinelli’s season will be intriguing to dissect after the conclusion of the campaign. He couldn’t even get a look in at Arsenal, and now he’s a blazing sensation who steals all the limelight wherever he goes. Aside from two starts in the Premier League to begin the season, he would appear in just 11 minutes of the remaining 10 matches in the league.
Nicolas Pepe was chosen ahead of him to come off the bench. Emile Smith Rowe’s outstanding play on the left side meant that he was left to eat from the crumbs of the team’s remaining games. Then came the match against Newcastle, and everything changed.
His goal or assist rate in the Premier League has increased to one every 118 minutes since then. But he has shown far more than just predatory instincts in front of goal. His entire game has become more refined and measured. That is while still retaining all of the dogged determination that has made him unstoppable over the abovementioned Smith Rowe.
Arsenal inadvertently increases the pressure on Gabriel Martinelli by failing to acquire a striker during the transfer window. That is even though he is the team’s most dangerous goal threat
As a result, the decision to allow Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to go in January and not to replace him with another striker was a bad one. This has unknowingly shifted a significant portion of the goal-scoring load onto the shoulders of Gabriel Martinelli. This is not the wisest decision to be honest. The player is quite young.
Aubameyang wasn’t going to score anyhow and neither were Lacazette or Nketiah either. Following the process of elimination, Martinelli suddenly finds himself amid an enormous task: scoring goals for Arsenal. Teams are fully aware of the threat he offers, as the number of people that crowd around Martinelli when he is in possession has suddenly doubled, just as it did with Saka. It is natural for people to take note when managers with Jurgen Klopp’s background openly praise your abilities.
Arsenal, whether intentionally or not, has put him under a lot of strain. As a result of the weight of scoring goals will now be distributed elsewhere. You can’t help but turn to the left flank for solutions to the goal-scoring problems. Issues that have plagued the team throughout January, which is inescapable. Thank goodness he is the kind of person who will accept it, use it as an inspiration.
Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey will not be able to contribute to goals. Despite having a productive month in front of goal in December, Martin Odegaard is not a player you would go to for assistance.
Arsenal knew not signing a striker was a risk. But they will believe it was a calculated one for a variety of reasons that go beyond the next 17 matches. To put it another way, a large part of this team’s success between now and May will depend on the performance of a 20-year-old.
