Mikel Arteta thought one Arsenal star was really ‘good’ vs Aston Villa, but he couldn’t be more wrong
Not every Arsenal star was on top form as Mikel Arteta’s side beat Aston Villa on Saturday evening.
Arsenal had to fight hard to claim all three points at Villa Park. Mikel Arteta’s men had to be patient, and did not make the breakthrough until after the hour mark, when substitute Leandro Trossard swept home with his first touch of the ball.
Trossard is a reliable impact substitute, but will be desperate for a run of games in the starting XI now. Certainly, based on form, the Belgian deserves to be in the Gunners’ regular line-up.
However, Arteta has been keen to afford Gabriel Martinelli the opportunity to play his way back into form. It was the Brazilian who made way for Trossard on Saturday, though, and the 29-year-old’s immediate impact served to underline Martinelli’s failure to provide any end product in this match.
Martinelli’s display didn’t lack in effort. The 23-year-old tried to make things happen in the final third, but as has been the case all-too-often in recent times, his attempts to provide a cutting edge didn’t come off successfully.
Martinelli struggled against Aston Villa in the eyes of Arsenal Insider. However, the manager didn’t necessarily see it the same way.
Mikel Arteta defends Gabriel Martinelli after Arsenal vs Aston Villa
Speaking after the match, as quoted by the official Arsenal website, Arteta gave his verdict on Martinelli’s performance and explained the reasoning behind his decision to take the forward off in favour of Trossard.
The Spanish coach said: “I decided to play Gabi and he had a good performance, and after that we had to change the game because it was taking a different route.”
Arteta had clear instructions for Trossard upon sending him on to the pitch, and the former Brighton man was certainly able to deliver.
However, his assessment of Martinelli’s performance as “good” was generous to say the least. The 13-cap Brazil international overhit his crosses, lacked conviction in his final third actions, and is clearly short on confidence.
Why Arteta is positive about Martinelli
The most obvious reason why Arteta may be keen to praise Martinelli in spite of his obvious struggles is in an attempt to restore some of the player’s confidence.
Certainly, criticising his display in front of the world’s press and media is unlikely to help matters.
Martinelli deserves patience and support, too. He remains an extremely talented player, who has proven himself and shone for the Gunners in the past. Arteta may have been wrong about Martinelli against Aston Villa, but he is not wrong about what the winger can bring to this team when he rediscovers his spark.
