Martinelli SHOULD start in Prague! (opinion)
If there is one player who deserves a place in the team in Prague tomorrow, for me it is Gabriel Martinelli.
Having not been given a chance in too many games this season, due to injury and just general tactics from Mikel Arteta, for me the time is right for him to be considered. After starting the game on the weekend, he impacted the team and worked well with his teammates to create chances, but he also got on the scoresheet to put us in a comfortable 2-0 lead, before Lacazette wrapped up the tie for 3-0 with his second goal of the game.
I think having Martinelli in the team, like it does with Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe, adds pace, another sense of creativity and an unpredictability about what the team will do, that in turn can put other teams off and feel uncomfortable. But with the right mix of talent in the team I have all the faith that our boys can pull off a great result against Slavia Prague!
Speaking to the Arsenal website, manager Arteta also mirrored this, stating: “We’ve shown that in big games, big players have to step in and create the magic moments and you need that. So let’s hope that we can have them. It doesn’t matter who it is but someone has to create when the team needs those moments. We have moments in the season where it has been the senior players and then other moments where it has been the young players. It doesn’t really matter.”
Although we also need our senior players to show up tomorrow, a mix of the right senior and younger players will completely show our strength in depth and will hopefully give us a comfortable win that we deserve to get us through to the next stage of the Europa League! Heres hoping hey Gooners?
Shenel Osman
Leno
Chambers,Holding,Mari
Cedric,Partey, Xhaka, Saka,
ESR, Laca,Martinelli.
Hopefully,Odegaard, and Auba will be fit enough for the bench.In the absence of Tierney I think the best way to maintain real balance in the team is to play Saka at left WB where he has performed for England.I appreciate he is a natural winger, but needs must for what is the most important match of our season.
I’d play the same line up as we played against Sheffield.
Martinelli or Aubameyang with everything on the line.
Lacazette is a must, and Pepe loves the Europa League. With Odegaard out, Smith Rowe will play at the #10. Left back… will it be Saka or Xhaka?
Leno
Bellerin, Holding, Mari, Saka (Xhaka)
Xhaka (Elneny), Partey
Pepe, ESR, Aubameyang
Lacazette
I liked the trio of Martinelli, Lacazette, and Pepe that played against Sheffield. I don’t think that playing Aubameyang for the first 70 minutes just to find out that he’s still out-of-sorts would be a good idea in this game. Need to get that away goal as early as possible.