Arsenal: 3 reasons Gabriel Martinelli can be the striker solution

Having seemingly missed out on signing their number one target this month, Arsenal have turned their attentions elsewhere for that elusive striker.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Alexander Isak are the main names in the frame, while Jonathan David continues to be linked after the fine season he’s having over with Lille.

Those are the primary three, but what happens if Arsenal can’t, for whatever reason, sign one of them? While there is a longer list than the one known with others on their minds, will they really push ahead to bring someone in who isn’t at the top of their list instead of holding fast for six months?

This is the big question. Can Arsenal still secure the top four with what they have, and it is worth taking that risk or risking the acquisition of someone they’re not entirely sold on with the fear of anything situation arising where they’ve got someone who they can’t ship?

Arsenal: 3 reasons Gabriel Martinelli can be the answer for Mikel Arteta if Gunners fail to sign Isak, Calvert-Lewin or any striker in January

While Arsenal would doubtlessly be aided in their quest for a top four finish in the Premier League with the addition of a centre-forward to take them to the next level, they also got into this position in the first place without said name.

Being two points off the top four with a game in hand was achieved with only seven goals from their three centre-forwards combined. Can they, if it comes down to it, achieve their targets as is?

It’s a big ask. But one area not explored is the possibility of Gabriel Martinelli coming in at centre-forward. A position he’s dabbled with in the past, his profile is entirely different to that of Alexandre Lacazette, even if that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

He has yet to fully develop in the role and there is a large contingent who feel he is more suited to the left side – one of whom is speaking – yet to avoid splashing cash on players who either aren’t the top of the pecking order or who could be cheaper in the summer, there are reasons why it can work.

1. Martinelli Has the Skillset to Play as a Striker

Quite simply, he can do it. Whether he’s more suited to a wider role or not, Martinelli absolutely has the tools to be an effective centre-forward.

In the cluster of players including Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard there is the potential for a variety of combinations and interchanging movements. These are technically flexible, mobile and agile players who have strong relationships on and off the pitch.

The current system also tries to get Martinelli central when possible. Lacazette coming short opens those spaces between the lines for Martinelli to attack between the centre-back and the full-back and, while the dynamic differs without the Frenchman in the team and would need work on the training pitch, these are areas the Brazilian knows how to attack.

He’s stronger, too. Physically you can see a lot of work has been put in behind the scenes to bulk up and that hasn’t come at the cost of his technical security. Still able to keep the ball in tight spaces, he’s added some steel in guarding it and that is valuable in congested central areas. Inside or outside, he can float into dangerous spaces and get shots off that Lacazette has nightmares over taking in the first place. His borderline disrespectful work rate trumps that of the stand-in captain, too.

On the topic of shooting, while he isn’t exactly Wout Weghorst, there is a strong case for Martinelli being the best header of a ball in the entire squad. Barring Gabriel, perhaps. His technique in the air is very clean for someone used to operating in wide areas and a few early crosses from Kieran Tierney might actually have a head to aim at for a change.

All of these traits and qualities are, on paper, helpful in the idea of Martinelli playing as the striker. Heck, if Nicolas Pepe is being considered (he shouldn’t be) then Gabi should be too.

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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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3. Martinelli & Lacazette Can Share the Load

It’s not as if Martinelli has to be the starting striker for the remainder of the season, as game-by-game there will be opposition setups that call for different personnel.

At present the choice is either Lacazette or Nketiah. With Smith Rowe back fit that needn’t be the case. If Arsenal host Everton or are away at Wolves they will need to alter their plan, and not only does it allow them to be flexible by opponent, it also can instill a level of doubt in the opposition.

There are great differences coming up against Martinelli as a striker as opposed to Lacazette. That’s something that could be used as an advantage.

We also don’t know how brilliant, or not, Martinelli can be as a centre-forward. This spell between now and the end of the season, while hardly time to be experimenting, could tell the club something it didn’t know and if the Brazilian shows the potential to be moulded into that role full-time it can also impact what happens in the summer.

What he is, is an option. One unused so far, and if Lacazette is his usual self and gasping for air by the 60th minute then the substitution needn’t immediately be Nketiah.

Arsenal have someone playing his best football to date with confidence coursing through his veins. While signing a striker this window is ideal, should they not manage to do so they possess someone in their ranks who has the potential to help them survive without.