Arsenal: Gabriel Martinelli gives Mesut Ozil a lesson

In Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest, Gabriel Martinelli worked incredibly hard, pressing relentlessly, winning tackles, and leading the line with terrific effort and energy. Mesut Ozil could learn a thing or two.]

Gabriel Martinelli made his first start for Arsenal on Tuesday night. And what a start it was. Leading the line in a 4-2-3-1 shape, the 18-year-old notched the opener with a sensationally opportunistic header before scoring the fifth and final goal in the closing stages, spinning away from a Forest midfielder and firing home from distance.

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It was quite the debut for a player who arrived in north London only three months prior with very low expectations. And after the match, Unai Emery was keen to highlight the explosive, effervescent performance of his new centre-forward:

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"“He was working in each training with a big spirit and with a big performance and I spoke with him to have some passion for when he gets his opportunity to play, to do like he was doing in the training and the matches in the pre-season. Tonight he did that. Really, he deserved it because he is very humble, a humble player and he fights, he is hungry to have that opportunity to help us and really it was perfect, his work tonight.”"

But beyond his two goals, which were sensational moments, the best part of Martinelli’s performance was the sheer effort that he played with, especially without the ball. As is now required of the modern-day striker in a high-pressing team, Martinelli was absolutely relentless, playing with that South American, terrier-like ferocity and incessant work rate that helped galvanise Arsenal’s press.

I lost count the number of slide tackles that Martinelli attempted, oftentimes nicking the ball away from an opponent. He closed down passing lanes and angles, he threw himself into tackles, he tracked midfielders deep into his own half, and he ran the channels well, chasing lost causes and helping to gain territory by forcing errant clearances.

Contrast the commitment and application of Martinelli to that of Mesut Ozil. It is very simple — and a little overly simple — to say that Martinelli tried harder than Ozil, but based on what we saw on Tuesday night, you could very easily draw that conclusion and it is not totally unjustified. Ozil’s play in possession was very good. Neat and tidy, knitting together the attacking play, he created six chances, more than any other player on the pitch. But his work out of possession left a lot to be desired.

This is the crux of the Ozil issue. Having a creative but at the very best languid midfielder does not fit into the modern game. Every player must pull their weight, with and without the ball. That means the attacking players must press from the front, either in the hope of forcing turnovers or forcing poor forward passes that are easier for the defence to deal with. But Ozil, unlike, Martinelli either does not or cannot execute a high press.

You could make an argument that Ozil is the best player in the Arsenal squad. He certainly looked like one of the best players on the pitch on Tuesday. But when it comes to fitting into the system that Emery wants to employ, and the modern game demands that a manager employs, he is no longer suitable. Perhaps he could learn a thing or two from the modernised Martinelli.