“That’s a criminal display and he mustn’t go scot-free. He MUST be punished for letting Chelsea take over”- Arsenal Legend Thierry Henry says Arteta MUST release £180k-p/w Arsenal star after ‘criminal’ display in Fulham’s 1-1 draw
“That’s a criminal display and he mustn’t go scot-free. He MUST be punished for letting Chelsea take over”- Arsenal Legend Thierry Henry says Arteta MUST release £180k-p/w Arsenal star after ‘criminal’ display in Fulham’s 1-1 draw
Arsenal Must Upgrade £180k-pw Star After ‘Criminal’ Display vs Fulham
Arsenal failed to pull within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool after being held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham. The Gunners were gifted the opportunity to close the gap at the top of the table as Liverpool’s Merseyside derby clash against Everton was called off due to adverse weather conditions.
However, Raul Jimenez and Fulham had other ideas as the Mexican forward fired in a wonderful goal in the 11th minute to give the Cottagers a shock lead. Mikel Arteta’s men – who have been heavily talked about for their set-piece brilliance this season – pulled level in the second-half as William Saliba applied the finishing touch to Kai Havertz’s header.
The away side thought they would be leaving Craven Cottage with all three points as Bukayo Saka nodded in a late goal from a Gabriel Martinelli cross. However, the travelling fans’ hearts were broken as replays showed the Brazilian winger was marginally offside, and the strike was chalked off as a result.
While Martinelli was only a matter of inches on the wrong side of the deepest defender, it just added to the frustrations he’s suffered this season.
Martinelli vs Fulham in Numbers
The winger struggled in his 30-minute cameo
Martinelli has struggled to consistently start games in recent weeks for the Gunners, and this was no different for the trip to Fulham. Leandro Trossard got the nod on the left-hand side of the three-pronged Arsenal attack.
This meant Martinelli was limited to just 30 minutes off the bench, but he didn’t make the most of his half-hour display. The wide player was unable to get into promising goal-scoring positions and had no shots at all during his time on the pitch
Aside from his one good ball into the box for the disallowed goal, Martinelli failed to find a teammate with any of his other five crosses into the Fulham penalty area. With the majority of the visitor’s chances coming from deliveries into the box from either set-piece situations or open play, this wasn’t good enough to help his side create chances.
Having only managed 24 touches despite the north London outfit being in the ascendancy, Martinelli also failed to complete any of his three attempted dribbles and made nine passes. Arteta needed a game-changing performance from his 23-year-old winger but was left frustrated by what he saw in the end.
Thierry Henry on Gabriel Martinelli
The ex-Gunner wasn’t pleased with the Brazilian
Working as a pundit on Sky Sports’ ‘Super Sunday’ coverage of the all-London clash, Henry made his feelings clear after the final whistle. The former Arsenal hero was adamant Arteta would let Martinelli know that his ‘criminal’ error of being offside is unacceptable. Merson stated:
“He is offside and, in football terms, that is criminal what Martinelli has done there. I can’t express enough how, in football terms, you just cannot be offside. You’re looking along the line, you’ve got pace. He’s electric, he’s not someone who’s got to try and nick a yard and play right on the edge. He can give someone a yard or two.
“I’d be surprised if he’s not on the end of one in the dressing room by the manager. You can’t be offside when you look along that line.”
Henry also referred to a similar incident in which Matheus Nunes was caught offside for Manchester City during their 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace and explained how Kevin De Bruyne made his feelings very clear to his teammate
Arsenal Need a New Left-Winger
Trossard has also failed to deliver on several occasions
While things look bleak in the title race for Arteta’s men, one of the biggest issues has been the productivity of the frontline – Saka aside. Kai Havertz has found the net five times in the Premier League, while Martinelli and Trossard have both only netted three times in the league this term.
If Arsenal had a player capable of hitting well over the 10-goal mark in the frontline to make the most of Saka’s creativity on the right flank, there would be very little that could stop them from winning major honours. With patience running thin within the fan base, Martinelli – who earns £180,000-per-week at the Emirates – could be upgraded.
It’s unlikely to be in January, but if Arteta is serious about creating a dominant team that can win multiple league titles, he may have to show the ruthless side he did when dealing with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil and cut his losses if Martinelli’s poor performances persist.
