Lost ball 11 times, 73% passing – £180k-p/w Arsenal star is a major problem for Arsenal
It has been a good start for Arsenal in the Premier League with the club going two for two so far in the English top-flight. While they were expected to beat Wolves on the opening day, the win over Aston Villa was a real marker of their title-chasing intentions.
The Gunners had to rely on the brilliance of David Raya to keep them in it, but with Ollie Watkins spurning some major changes, Mikel Arteta’s men took home all three points with two second-half goals. Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the 67th minute before Thomas Partey sealed all three points just 10 minutes later.
And while everyone involved would have been delighted with the win, it was a poor performance from Gabriel Martinelli. His form has been a bit of an issue for some time now and Arteta has a big decision to make regarding the right-hand side of his attack.
For those who watched the game, it’s clear that Martinelli was far from his best at Villa Park. His 5/10 display made him the worst player on the pitch for Arsenal and the stats back this up.
Indeed, he finished the game having had fewer touches than goalkeeper Raya. Despite that, he still gave away the ball 11 times (the second-highest amount for the Gunners). What’s more, his passing percentage, down at 76% (13/17), was also the worst of any player to start for Arteta on the day.
