Arsenal: 3 reasons Gabriel Martinelli can be the striker solution

2. Martinelli as Striker Gets Emile Smith Rowe Back in the Team

The unfortunate victim of Martinelli’s excellence, Smith Rowe has found minutes harder to come by around the turn of the year with his teammate rightly earning the ‘undroppable’ tag after his sparking December form.

Injuries have held Smith Rowe back of late, with his evident lack of match fitness contributing to two difficult performances against Liverpool and Burnley. Clearly way off the pace, more matches are needed before he hits that sparkling form he’s demonstrated across season.

Form, that is, full of goals.

Should Arsenal not land their striker this month then the goals will have to come from elsewhere, and who better to answer that call than the club’s top scorer this campaign? Martinelli playing centre-forward gives Arsenal the chance to inject more goals across the pitch.

It’s also not just about getting him back in the team, it’s specifically about getting him back out on the left. Even in the Burnley match when he struggled for impact and energy, once he began drifting out to the left his influence grew tremendously. When he was brought off he was the most threatening player on the pitch.

With grass to run into he’s devastating out on that side, while it also is a position where he can make those late entries into the box that served him well earlier in the season. Gabi moving centrally causes welcome movement elsewhere.

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