Arsenal vs Brighton: 3 talking points from 0-0 draw

2. Gabriel Martinelli Cuts a Forgotten Figure

Does anyone remember when Gabriel Martinelli burst onto the Arsenal scene? Scoring goals for fun and look the club’s most dangerous player? Me neither. It feels like so long ago that it’s a distant memory.

The knee injury aside, Martinelli simply hasn’t got the game time many expected, and against Brighton with ten minutes to go, it was the perfect time to bring the Brazilian on.

With Saka withdrawn, Arteta instead decided to go with Ainsley Maitland-Niles to replace him which is a real headscratcher. Clearly Arteta wanted to consolidate and escape with a point rather than going for a win, but what does that say about the Gunners boss? Live to fight another day?

With the firepower Martinelli can bring you, surely it was worth a chance. In a game lacking explosiveness and directness in behind, the Brazilian seemed like the ideal candidate to come on and give Arsenal some chaos in the final third.

In Martinelli’s case, it is hard to envisage outside of cup competitions just where his minutes are going to come from having fallen so far down the pecking order at the Emirates. It is a worrying sign for one of our best-attacking talents and if the trend continues, then like William Saliba, Arsenal could loan him out and other clubs get to enjoy the work he does.

Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.

Continued…