How Gabriel Martinelli could be the key for Arsenal vs Aston Villa

Arsenal face a worrying couple of days as they prepare to face Aston Villa on Friday with Mikel Arteta revealing that up to four of his players are fitness concerns for the Premier League clash.

Among them is Bukayo Saka, who hadn’t trained up until Thursday’s session after being on the receiving end of a nasty James McArthur case of GBH, which poses another issue on top of an already increasing pile.

The inability to create enough threatening chances from open play has been one gigantic wedge rammed in the middle of Arteta’s Arsenal vision. Grabbing two goals against Crystal Palace was at least, in some hidden way, a positive upturn, albeit the first coming from a goalkeeper’s parry and the second the result of an almighty scramble in the box.

Saka operating on the right brings plenty to the table for Arsenal in an attacking sense. His delightful out-to-in runs and brilliantly timed underlaps are cornerstones of his threatening quality, even if he still needs to be producing greater numbers of goals and assists.

How Gabriel Martinelli could be the key for Arsenal against Aston Villa as the need for a higher quality of shot creation is limiting output

Regardless of the systematic oddities and frustrating tactical calls that have contributed to limiting his output, he remains one of the club’s best players. His potential absence will be keenly felt whether or not he’s being played out on the flank that suits him to a lesser degree.

Nicolas Pepe is one candidate to take up the right-winger slot once more with Martin Odegaard playing more advanced and Emile Smith Rowe moving back out to the left with a double pivot in behind. All of those options will be in the manager’s thoughts as he could persist with the single pivot of Thomas Partey on Friday.

That’s a move tailored to the Ghanaian’s press-resistant and line breaking skillset. A player of that calibre operating in a role where he is entrusted with the responsibility that comes with being an experienced and senior member of the squad.

There are risks that come with it, however, as Odegaard struggled with the positional aspect of his role, which in turn reduces the options Partey has in front. For that reason, the re-introduction of Sambi from the start could aid the midfielder progress the ball into advances areas.

But then what? There is possibly no Saka and the issue remains that Arsenal do not get a high enough volume of shots off in dangerous positions.

Who does that best in the squad? Who is the supposed chaos agent who can force issues? Gabriel Martinelli.

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