Positives & negatives from Arsenal's 1-1 draw vs. Brentford

Negative #1: Gabriel Martinelli off the boil

Not having to share the limelight with Saka should have been the cue for Martinelli to turn on the style. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old was some distance from his peak form even before getting cut down by a should-have-seen-red Christian Norgaard.

That horror tackle took the steam out of Martinelli's game, but he'd already been guilty of poor first touches, some suspect control, and a lack of balance. Those things wrecked more than a few promising Arsenal breaks.

Another aspect of Martinelli's performance that didn't pass muster was his off the ball movement. Specifically, the lack of nuance and variety in his runs.

Rarely did the forward angle his attacking darts and present the man on the ball a more incisive pass. Too many straight-line forays forward required the ball to be played into Martinelli, rather than into areas where he would soon arrive.

On the rare occasions everything came together for Arsenal's No. 11, Martinelli proved overeager to make an impression. He rushed shots, usually hitting straight into the nearest defender, not showing any cuteness as a finisher to curl the ball around a player or deceive Flekken with anything other than power.

There's still so much untapped potential in Martinelli's game, but consistency continues to elude him. It's the same quality one of the club's brightest young things is starting to develop.

Positive #2: Ethan Nwaneri's growing confidence

Nwaneri was a joy for most of his time on the pitch, a sign of the growing confidence in the things he does well. Things like taking the ball on his left foot and cutting infield from the right.

It's a familiar move from most right-sided wingers in today's game, but what makes Nwaneri special is the expanding array of choices he makes following this move. Some of his best choices involve angled crosses from the edge of the box.

One such example yielded a headed goal from Kieran Tierney, another squad body rotated in by Arteta, but the finish was ruled out by VAR. The ruling was accurate, but it was a shame to see a perfectly weighted and pinpoint cross go to waste.

Nonetheless, there's an increased bravado about the way Nwaneri is attacking teams. The 18-year-old shows no fear, while his clever feet, eye for a pass and appreciation of space will guarantee a spectacular future, no matter if Nwaneri stays on the wing or makes the move centrally.

Solving that dilemma is a champagne problem for Arteta, who for now, can content himself with how Nwaneri's versatility gives him options. Even if the gaffer might not always know the best way to exploit the choices at his disposal.

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