Arsenal: 5 key players in FA Cup matchup vs Portsmouth

Arsenal have a lot on their plates, but the FA Cup is the prerogative tomorrow. Here are five guys that can help get us through with comfort.

There’s a lot going on at Arsenal this past couple of weeks. The unbeaten streak in the Premier League continues—though the clean sheet streak ended—and the Europa League has prematurely ended as well. Still, there is optimism abounding that Mikel Arteta is the man with the plan.

Not wanting to lose track of the FA Cup, Arteta is going to have to rely on some of the players he hasn’t exactly been favoring. Some of whom are in a sort of exile, some of whom are desperate for a chance to get back into the first-choice XI.

There will always be the potential for an unfortunate slip-ups in such match-ups, especially with our attention focused so intently on getting back into the Champions League, but if Arteta can count on these five guys to do a job, there’s no reason we can’t expect a positive result.

And so, let’s dig right in and talk about the five guys most important to securing a berth in the next round of the FA Cup.

We will start with No. 5.

5. Gabriel Martinelli

Gabriel Martinelli is a Premier League caliber teenager who is only being kept out of the Premier League because of overcrowding in the attack. But in these midweek competitions, he is the man, and he will continue to be the man here. We can count on him to do a job. Unlike some of the other guys on this list, he doesn’t have question marks. He’s key because we know what we can expect out of him.

If nothing else, it’s just another chance to appreciate him. It’s remarkable when you can count on a teenager to the extent that we are able to count on Martinelli. It makes the often daunting prospect of rotation far less so.

I would expect him to return to the scoresheet as well. If he’s good enough to shred Chelsea’s entire defense, he can do the same here.

On to No. 4.