Mikel Arteta Left Absolutely Furious With One Arsenal Player Despite North London Derby Win
Arsenal secured another victory on the road at N17, overcoming their recent streak of bad luck to claim all three points in the North London derby.
Tottenham Hotspur struggled to break through the solid defense led by Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, who expertly controlled the backline for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Despite the pressure, Arsenal held strong defensively and were eventually rewarded with a goal from the Brazilian, assisted by Bukayo Saka and aided by the influence of set-piece coach Nicolas Jover.
However, it wasn’t an entirely easy ride for Arteta’s men, as they were forced to defend resolutely for extended periods, especially when Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard lost control in the midfield.
Thomas Partey played a crucial role in shielding the defense but didn’t display the same commanding presence he has shown in previous matches of this magnitude.
Mikel Arteta Seriously Frustrated With Gabriel Martinelli’s End Product
Arsenal eventually secured their winning goal through a set-piece, with Gabriel finding the net. However, before this decisive moment, Mikel Arteta’s team created several strong opportunities to score from open play.
One of the best chances came in the 19th minute, when Gabriel Martinelli found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Notably, Martinelli had Bukayo Saka available to his right for support, with Saka managing to get ahead of his marker, Destiny Udogie.
During Sky Sports’ broadcast of the match, Arteta was visibly frustrated on the touchline, expressing his anger after Martinelli’s missed shot.
It seemed likely that Arteta expected Martinelli to pass the ball rather than take the shot himself. Even if Martinelli chose to go for goal, the Arsenal manager may have anticipated a more decisive effort.
Arteta will likely be pleased with Martinelli’s performance, despite the player’s noticeable lack of confidence in front of goal. Martinelli has shown a strong work ethic on the defensive end, even as he struggles to find the back of the net.
Arteta’s decision to substitute Raheem Sterling into the game was bold, especially since Arsenal needed to remain resolute in their defensive shape at the time.
Sterling, however, quickly adapted to the pace of the game, working in tandem with Ethan Nwaneri to maintain Arsenal’s urgency in their pressing efforts.
Kai Havertz, as usual, put in a significant amount of running throughout the 90 minutes, and his efforts were supported by the introduction of Gabriel Jesus later in the match.
Ultimately, it was Arsenal’s Gabriel at the back who emerged as the match-winner, with his defensive contributions complementing his powerful efforts in front of goal.
In other Arsenal news, “What’s the Solution?” – Emmanuel Petit Reveals His Long-term Concern as Arsenal Set to Return to Champions League Action
