 "EPL 2021-22: With Aubameyang gone, will Arteta turn to Martinelli to lead Arsenal's attack?")
synopsis
With the Gabonese out of the picture, Arsenal manager Arteta will now spend most of his time pondering who could lead the north London club's attack in his 4-2-3-1 system.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's January departure to Barcelona, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is left with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as striker options for the rest of the season. However, reports suggest that the Spaniard could very well be tempted to push 20-year-old Gabriel Martinelli to lead the Gunners attack.
The Gabon international's future at Emirates plunged into doubt after Arteta stripped him of his captaincy following a disciplinary breach in December. This sparked Aubameyang's move to Camp Nou on a free transfer on deadline day, despite a whirlwind saga that seemed to be hitting a dead-end at one point.
On Wednesday, Barcelona unveiled the 32-year-old striker, who has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract at the La Liga side. Stating that he is excited to play under Barca boss Xavi Hernandez, Aubameyang added that he would give his best to help the Catalan club restore its former glory.
With the Gabonese out of the picture, Arsenal manager Arteta will now spend most of his time pondering who could lead the north London club's attack in his 4-2-3-1 system. Although Lacazette and Nketiah are the obvious candidates to do the job for the Gunners, the reality is that both these players are set to leave Emirates as free agents at the end of the season.
Arsenal also failed to sign a new striker in the January 2022 window, with Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic snubbing a move to Emirates favouring Italian giants Juventus. Hence, reports suggest that Arteta could turn to Gabriel Martinelli to lead the attack for the remainder of the season and perhaps beyond.
This season, the Brazilian has been one of the standout players for Arsenal, firmly establishing himself as a starter on the left-wing. According to Football.London, Martinelli has spent much of him in the Dubai camp playing in all three positions of the forward line, including the middle.
Recently, Arteta also hinted that Martinelli's understanding of the game has improved. "He's able to put some gears into his play," the Arsenal boss added last month, indicating that he believes in the 20-year-old's future lies in being a No.9.
Meanwhile, Jack Wilshere, who is currently training with the first team, lauded Arteta's handling of the Brazilian so far as 'genius'. "The one who I like and think he's going to be top is Martinelli. I think what the manager has done with him has been genius as well," the 30-year-old midfielder told Arsenal media.
This season, Gabriel Martinelli has made 21 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals and two assists in 10 Premier League starts. Reports suggest Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Emile Smith Rowe could line up behind the Brazilian - a front four with an average age of 21.
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