Rio Ferdinand has come out to praise Arsenal duo Bukayo saka and Gabriel Martinelli, and has touted them to create a fantastic partnership in our side.
The duo have stamped their mark on the Premier League this season, starting the campaign with bit-part roles, and are now the first names you look for when teamsheets are announced.
Our club has not enjoyed the best of campaigns, although our fortunes do appear to be on an upward curve at present, but these two players have been rare bright sparks throughout the campaign.
Rio Ferdinand is not the first to witness the sheer potential that the pair possess, and he won’t be the last.
“He [Saka] is going to have a fantastic future. If him and Martinelli keep that partnership out wide, I watched it against Bournemouth, they mesmerised me,” the former United defender said.
“The confidence out there, the way that they played in sync, was beautiful to see.
“He is going to have to fight Tierney for a position because he’s an investment they have played. Are they going to have to play him?”
The Scottish international is ready to return to action after his injury trouble this season, and the manager will have to make decisions on which players get priority, and I feel strongly that should Tierney get the nod at left-back, Saka will likely get a return to his favoured winger role.
Where that leaves Martinelli in the side could prove limiting with the likes of Nicolas Pepe, Aubameyang, Reiss Nelson, Nketiah and Lacazette also vying for attacking roles.
Should Arteta try to incorporate all three into the side this season, or will they all rotate fairly? Has Saka done enough to warrant more action than the other two?
Patrick
Saka, Martinelli and Tierney would all be first team picks for me.Martinelli has the ability to play in any attacking role and with his prodigious work rate he makes a real contribution to our defensive effort, unlike the overpriced Pepe.