Mikel Arteta Can Bench Martinelli by Giving “Unbelievable” Gem His First Arsenal Start
Arsenal faced a challenging start to the season with away matches against Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester City in the Premier League, along with a Champions League tie against Atalanta.
Despite these tough fixtures, the team has managed to secure two wins and two draws, leaving them in a strong position to improve on last season’s performance.
Under Mikel Arteta’s guidance, Arsenal have undergone a remarkable transformation. Once a team that struggled in high-pressure matches, they now compete on equal footing with some of the best teams globally.
In their recent encounter against Manchester City, a brief moment of lost concentration cost them victory, even though they played with ten men for about 55 minutes, narrowly missing out on all three points.
The upcoming League Cup match offers some respite for the North London club, as they face League One side Bolton Wanderers.
While it’s crucial they approach the game with the same focus and respect as any other, Arteta can afford to rotate his squad. One likely change could see Gabriel Martinelli rested for the fixture.
Why Martinelli Must be Benched
One player that Arteta should consider dropping for tonight’s cup match is Martinelli. However, this decision wouldn’t be due to a poor performance against Manchester City, but rather the opposite.
Although he has faced criticism in recent weeks for a relatively slow start to the season, Arteta chose to include him in the lineup on Sunday.
The young Brazilian rewarded his manager’s faith by delivering a display that should earn him additional time to regain his top form in the eyes of the supporters.
During the first half, while Arsenal still had all 11 players on the field, the former Ituano talent proved to be an effective threat on the left flank.
After making a well-timed run following a quick free kick, he set up Riccardo Calafiori, who went on to score what could be considered a goal-of-the-season contender.
In the second half, when the manager made the decision to keep him on the field instead of Saka, he stepped up his performance and displayed another impressive aspect of his abilities.
Although there were no more attacking opportunities, he made an immense defensive contribution. He gave everything on the pitch, as shown by his heatmap, which illustrates how he spent most of his time near the penalty area, making critical efforts to prevent City from scoring.
His remarkable efforts earned him a solid rating of 8/10 from Kaya Kaynak of football.london. While he likely wanted to finish the game, Arteta had no choice but to substitute him in the 87th minute due to his exhaustion, which suggests he should be rested for tonight’s match as well.
Why Arteta Must Start Raheem Sterling Instead of Martinelli
With Martinelli being rested for tonight’s game and Leandro Trossard unavailable due to his suspension after receiving a second yellow card against City, it opens up a great opportunity for Arteta to start Raheem Sterling, a player he once developed into one of the country’s top goal-scorers.
Sterling, now 29, has only come off the bench in a few matches for the club this season. Although his form hasn’t been outstanding, he still merits the chance to demonstrate his abilities to the fans.
While Sterling’s reputation has diminished somewhat since he left Manchester City two years ago, his performance numbers have remained respectable, even amidst Chelsea’s turbulent period.
In his debut season with Chelsea, Sterling, once praised by Arteta as “unbelievable,” netted nine goals and contributed four assists over 38 appearances. He improved last season, delivering ten goals and eight assists in 43 games.
Over the past two seasons, Sterling has maintained an average of one goal involvement every 2.61 games. This consistent output should solidify his role as a dependable backup winger, making him a strong candidate to start in tonight’s fixture.
| Sterling’s Chelsea record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season | 22/23 | 23/24 |
| Appearances | 38 | 43 |
| Goals | 9 | 10 |
| Assists | 4 | 8 |
| Goal Involvements per Match | 0.34 | 0.41 |
| Stats Source: Transfermarkt | ||
Ultimately, after Martinelli’s outstanding performance on Sunday, he both needs and deserves a break, so Arteta should consider starting Sterling in his place.
In other Arsenal news, What Premier League Rivals are Saying About Arsenal with Concerns Sent to PGMOL
