Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk was not a classic, but it did provide the stage for a vintage performance from Gabriel Martinelli.
“He looked really sharp, really fresh as well,” said Arteta of the 23-year-old. “Fresher than anybody on the pitch because he could not start against Bournemouth, and you could tell that was different to the rest.
“He had another gear, he had another level of threat and he started the game really well. He had a great performance for us tonight.”
Over the past month there has been a steady improvement in Martinelli’s output. He got a goal and assist in the 4-2 win over Leicester City on September 28, before another assist a week later against Southampton. In this victory over Shakhtar, he was not credited with either a goal or an assist, but it was his contribution that decided the game.
In the 29th minute, Martinelli drove into the penalty area, stood his man up, feinted, stepped onto his right foot and struck a powerful shot towards goal. It bounced off the near post, against the Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk and into the net. Technically, an own goal — but Martinelli’s moment.
Particularly in the first half, the Brazil international was a constant menace. His set-piece delivery was dangerous, his threat on the left flank persistent. Had Arsenal’s finishing been better, he might have created another goal or two. When forced to defend, he tore back towards his own goal with typical dedication. His performance led to him being awarded UEFA’s official Player of the Match award.
It is easy to root for Martinelli. Even when things have not gone his way in front of goal, his application has never wavered. He is a player who serves the team first, himself second.
Not all of Arsenal’s attackers shone against Shakhtar, though. Gabriel Jesus will be frustrated he could not cap a decent all-round performance with a goal, while Leandro Trossard had another night to forget. After his wayward backpass proved Arsenal’s undoing against Bournemouth, he missed a penalty against Shakhtar which would have made the game’s latter stages substantially more comfortable.
It is interesting that the upturn in Martinelli’s form appears to have coincided with a dip in Trossard’s. While Arteta would doubtless like all his attacking players to be in form simultaneously, that is not especially realistic.
Players will endure peaks and troughs in the course of any one season. Just a few weeks ago, everything was going right for Trossard and Martinelli could not catch a break.
Such are the vagaries of a Premier League season. That is why Arteta insists on depth, variety and competition. Trossard will come again. Martinelli may dip again. But Arteta will hope having both enables him to navigate that without significantly derailing his team.
At the other end of the pitch, Arsenal have more pressing concerns than a dip in Trossard’s form to contend with.
After his dismissal against Bournemouth, William Saliba will be suspended for the visit of league leaders Liverpool this weekend. Having suffered that blow, Arteta would have been desperate for his remaining defenders to come through this match unscathed.
It was not to be. Riccardo Calafiori, whose role in unlocking Martinelli’s performances should not be overlooked, departed clutching a knee.“He felt something,” confirmed Arteta in his press conference. “I don’t know the extent of that. It’s not great news.”
With Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jurrien Timber and Kieran Tierney all already sidelined, the Calafiori news is most unwelcome. Oleksandr Zinchenko has not featured since returning from injury, and has managed just 10 minutes of football since the Premier League’s opening day. In Calafiori’s stead, Arsenal brought on 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Ben White was withdrawn at half-time, but Arteta played down any fears over his fitness. “Ben, it was my decision to take him out,” the Arsenal manager explained. “He had a yellow card and we’ve played enough with 10 men in recent periods. They had a lot of density on that side, a lot of players on that side, so I didn’t want to take any chances there.”
White’s withdrawal afforded Arteta an opportunity to look at Thomas Partey at right-back — an option he may have to explore if White steps infield to replace Saliba, and Timber does not return before Sunday. It was not a particularly promising audition from Partey, and Arsenal appeared to cede some control of the midfield without the Ghanaian in the centre of the pitch.
Arsenal also await news on Bukayo Saka, who has not trained since being forced off during England’s Nations League defeat by Greece.
Arteta has much to ponder ahead of Sunday’s match. With his defence depleted, perhaps a sharper Martinelli could hold the key to pinning Liverpool back.
)Top photo: Catherine Ivill — AMA/Getty Images)
