Mikel Arteta Asked To Drop ‘Struggling’ Arsenal Player For Man City Clash

Mikel Arteta has been urged to drop Gabriel Martinelli for Arsenal’s clash against title rivals Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night

The Gunners have been the pace-setters in the English top-flight this term but are going through a slight wobble, losing to Everton last weekend and failing to beat Brentford at home on Saturday.

Manchester City have not been at their scintillating best this season and suffered a disappointing defeat to Tottenham last weekend, but Pep Guardiola’s side will move to within three points of Arsenal if they beat Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.

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Arteta will be desperate for Arsenal to produce an improved performance when defending champions Man City travel to north London and has been urged to drop Martinelli for January signing Leandro Trossard.

‘I don’t think Gabriel Martinelli has been great lately,’ former Premier League goalkeeper Shaka Hislop told ESPN. ‘When he has come on, Leandro Trossard has had an impact.

‘So if you’re Arteta, I think the time is right to think: “Well, do I now play Trossard from the very start?”

‘Now, Martinelli is quick, and defences coming up against that kind of pace, you have to adjust just for that pure speed that Martinelli brings. But he hasn’t had much of an impact. He’s not been playing well and is struggling a bit.

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‘So the easy change I think given the form of Trossard, given the fact that he’s finally got on the scoresheet for Arsenal, is that you have to play him from the very start.’

Arteta singled out former Brighton star Trossard for praise after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brentford, telling reporters: ‘We need people who make an impact in the game and he has been really good since he joined.

‘He scored his first Arsenal goal and it is a really valuable one. He is a player who is going to give us a lot.’

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On Arsenal’s mini wobble and the title race, Arteta added: ‘Everybody is suffering to win games.

‘Games are won in margins in this league and when you take the margins away it becomes really difficult. The team had a really strong performance again today but we didn’t get the three points.

‘The supporters were brilliant. The energy and passion they put into the game was superb. We have a big game coming up. In the next five or six days we play two games so it is a big week for us.’