Positives & negatives from Arsenal's 4-0 win over 10-man Ipswich

Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli scored early to help a stronger than expected Arsenal starting XI assert a gulf in class over Ipswich Town. A second for Trossard and a deflected strike courtesy of substitute Ethan Nwaneri put an exclamation point on a dominant display in the Premier League on Easter Sunday.

The Gunners produced some liquid football on the break at Portman Road, but key players were on the receiving end of some overtly physical challenges from the relegation-destined hosts. Among them, star man Bukayo Saka was cynically scythed down by Leif Davis, a nasty challenge that rightly earned the Ipswich left-back a red card on 32 minutes.

A hobbled Saka found himself subject to bizarre jeers from the home crowd, and the England winger seemed to lose his finishing touch. Saka spurned three excellent chances before being hooked for Nwaneri in the 57th minute.

It was a smart move for Mikel Arteta to protect his key asset, just like it made sense to withdraw Mike Merino for Myles Lewis-Skelly. The Spaniard had caught the eye during a rare start in midfield, particularly during the build-up to Arsenal's second goal, but Merino's role as Arteta's striker of choice in the UEFA Champions League made him too valuable to risk for too long ahead of the semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.

Arsenal will need Merino's power and smart link-up play against the free-flowing Parisians, but Leandro Trossard offered a timely reminder of his intelligence and subtle craft up top. Those attributes helped the Belgian bag a brace and give his manager a nice selection problem to have for the first leg against PSG at the Emirates on April 29.

Arteta can also take comfort from Martinelli starting to make his name a fixture on scoresheets again.

Positives & negatives from Arsenal's 4-0 win at Ipswich Town

Positive #1: Another goal for Gabriel Martinelli

Martinelli has been showing signs of reasserting himself again as an invaluable attacking outlet, but every good performance has been followed by an uneven display. The Brazilian still needs consistency, something he's inching toward after finding the net for the second match in a row.

He was teed up at the end of a slick and swift team move highlighted by a delightful flick from a switched-on Merino. While the goal was essentially a tap-in for Martinelli, his presence at the back post, lurking in an onside position, represented a positive sign the old instincts of a natural goalscorer are returning.

Injuries and erratic form have stalled Martinelli's development over the last year, but he's still a special talent. One blessed with preternatural acceleration, as well as composure and technique in front of goal.

Those things could yet make the 23-year-old a striker of the future, but for now, Arsenal need Martinelli to ease the burden on Saka. His goals are doing that, along with compensating for the ongoing lack of a natural No. 9.

Fortunately, the latter problem is not proving as damaging as many feared because Arteta's makeshift strikers are delivering.

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