Mikel Arteta’s continued trust in Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard on the left wing is, in many ways, pressure he is placing on himself.
That much is clear, with tactical admissions continuing to surface about why the position needs refreshing.
The latest of these comes from development coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, who has long worked with Noni Madueke as a personal trainer.
Martinelli and Trossard under tactical scrutiny
While championing his client for a shot at the left wing, Isaksson-Hurst has made bold claims that cast doubt over both Martinelli and Trossard’s suitability for the role.
He says:
“Martinelli, for me, is a really good transition player, maybe not so good in a low block, beating those players. Trossard’s really good in those 1v1s, but can’t run beyond.”
As cited by YouTube, these comments help explain why Arsenal struggled to consistently break down teams in a low block last season. They also contribute to the idea that Arsenal are overly reliant on their right-hand side, with their current left-wing options each lacking a key trait needed to consistently penetrate defences.
With a Bukayo Saka-like winger on the left, at least half of those 14 league draws could arguably have been converted into wins.
Time to rethink the left flank?
While Madueke’s coach goes on to describe his client as a hybrid of Trossard and Martinelli, it could be argued Arsenal should have been bolder in pursuing a long-term solution for the left wing.
It is a position that continues to leave some Gooners uneasy, and it is surprising Arteta remains so confident in his current options that he has reportedly placed a “not for sale” tag on both.
It has been claimed he is happy to keep Trossard, while Martinelli is considered untouchable. Interestingly though, Trossard is stalling on signing Arsenal’s contract offer.
Either way, Arteta is placing his trust in the pair next season – a decision that could have serious consequences if the tactical balance does not improve.
At best, after signing Viktor Gyokeres, Arteta should also have ensured he recruited a natural left winger.
Madueke may present himself as an option, but questions remain over his suitability on that flank. For many, he is seen as Saka’s back-up, and he too will have to reach the required level on the right.
Are your fears growing over Arsenal’s left flank?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Daniel O
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Based on last season’s games, Martinelli reached the byline more often than Trossard and Saka
Once Trossard gets shipped out, I think Arsenal will sign an LW
I also this same response on another thread and I’m left wondering what’s the purpose of reaching byline most of the time if the end product is poor?
@SA Gunner I concur with you absolutely.
Gai kept saying he reached the byline as if that’s all that’s is required of a skillful LW. Reaching byline becomes meaningful if the end product is good. Yes Saka doesn’t reach the byline often but he is more dangerous and productive than Matinelli.
Defenders fear less our left wing compared to what Saka cando on the RW.
His byline crosses would’ve been converted into goals if we had a Giroud 2.0 in the middle
He can’t cut inside and shoot easily because Odegaard is too slow to pass the ball to our left wing
Madueke is our LW and he’s a very good player. He’ll surprise all the haters. Everyone will see how good he is when the league resumes.
I trust Martinelli, he is infact my most favourite player in Arsenal. He has pace, skill, control, anything you need in a player, he really fit Mikel Arteta squad.
Absolute nonsense article. How can you claim he is happy to keep Martinelli and Trossard, and say loyalty threatens ambitions, when club are actively pursuing Eze and others.
I really do think is a pot stirrer
When I first saw Martinelli at 18 yrs old I thought wow! what a player we have on our books. Even Klopp called him the prospect of the century. Now, 6 years later he is still being viewed as a prospect. Compared to Saka he has stood still, and that is the conundrum. Can he take that last big step and achieve his full potential because technically you cannot fault him? I really hope so.
Stood still? He has gone backwards
In what way has he gone backwards? It’s important to remember that the kind of scenarios that he thrives on are often very limited in the PL.
All the metrics that matters. Others are saying he has improved defensively ?
I just think that Martinelli hasn’t got a “Footballing Brain “as compared to Saka or Trossard etc..
He reminds me of Theo Walcott, just pure pace and can score goals here and there.
It looks like Martinelli would do better in a quick counter attacking team / system, like the one Arteta deployed in the 2022/23 season. But this more slower, possession based style where a lot of brain and technical ability is required don’t suit him.
😟
Hi Andrew. I do agree with what you said but Saka does have great support on the right. Odegaard. White & Timber to some extent. Martinelli or Trossard don’t have that luxury. Eze coming in would be really beneficial to our left wing conundrum.
Interesting hearing people’s takes on Martinelli and Trossard, and whether they players are not good enough or the tactics.
I wonder how Saka would perform and produce on the right wing without
1. A fullback overlapping, leaving Saka isolated and double teamed as well.
2. Odegaard a permanent fixture on the right side; helping facilitate play and chances
I find it hard to believe anyone can produce on the LW; isolated and double teamed with no fullback support, little if any support from the midfield, basically a decoy to help spread out the defense.
At least Martinelli defends, I would say our best and most consistent defender on the wings. Even Trossard will get stuck in sometimes.
I don’t see Rodrygo putting in a defense shift like that, EVERY GAME like Martinelli.
Maybe Arteta relies on that LW defending to make up for the inverted LB?
@Durand
No matter how many times you post this truth bomb, folks will always put the blame on Martinelli and how much he has regressed. Imagine if all our play was shifted to the left wing. Then it would be Saka catching the flack. Just sayin…🤔
NY_Gunner
That’s why I continue to post my comment. Far easier to blame Martinelli or Trossard, rather than question the manager and tactics.
I do have hope though, finally we brought in a striker, finally, admitting we can’t pretend we don’t need one anymore.
Maybe the same will apply to the left side attack, no more stale tactics and expecting a different result.
I’m more concerned about the LB, you don’t win the league with an 18 year old over confident player and the other mostly out under some treatment.
Not signing a strong LB will undo all other signings.
Kai at attacking Left midfield is another disaster waiting to happen, while Rice is better at playing deeper.
In short we are the proverbial “one signing short from winning the league”
Marteneli is not the problem, Mikel is.
100M wasted on Kai + Calaufori and we are still vulnerable
We are not winning the league coming season, let’s be practical.
SRS I may not fully agree with you but you have a point.
The injury situation for Calafiori calls for some concern .With Skelly almost always likely to be carded in every match, it may leave us short when say he is suspended and Calafiori is injured.
I know Timber has been an option but he too is not reliable coz of recurrent injuries.May be it’s time to move on Calafiori and get a proper L.b to compete with Skelly.
I will defend Havertz though. He kind of finds himself in a bit of Madueke situation. He is a good player who gives his all when called upon,also a dependable professional for the Germans.
His only problem is his arsenal situation where the manager signed him on a high fee and put him on high wages without a clear cut role to play. That can’t be his fault really.
His contribution this season may be abit limited now that we have a C.F. If I were Arteta I would regularly use Kai on the L.w or behind the C.f in that position 10. He can also play as striker partner In a 442 formation.
Based what we see ,it’s evident that our left wing needs improvement.
The reasons as to why both Trossard and Martinelli are performing below expectations may vary but the fact remains that the two players have failed to impress & that wing is our weak point which has heavily impacted negatively to our overall goals per game.
I love Martinelli and Trossard but I think we can upgrade on them. Thing is, they are both limited in their own ways. Martinelli has pace but his decision making in final third always leaves a lot to be desired. Trossard is a good finisher,scores important goals and his goal/assist output is decent but his lack of pace is a problem.
While we could give more support to our left wingers,that wouldn’t suddenly make them elite players. Martinelli’s inconsistent decision making in the attacking third has very little to do with a lack of support. For instance,there are moments he takes a shot when a teammate is in a better position to score. Or shooting straight at the keeper when it’s better to angle the ball towards the far post.
There’s a game last season when we thought Saka had scored from a Martinelli cross only for the replays to show Martinelli was offside. In that sequence of play,Martinelli should have timed his movement better because he should have been able see the defensive line. It is these little details he gets wrong that separate him from the truly elite wingers.
Some say Saka has support,which is fair, but Saka performs even without the support. He was England’s best player for consecutive seasons despite playing in Southgate’s defensive formation that offered him little support. Last season Saka didn’t have Odegaard after the Captain’s injury. Behind him was Timber who isn’t much of an overlapping fullback like White. Yet Saka still performed to a high level and many believe he could have broken assist record. It’s because of his elite decision making.
If Martinelli was this amazing player who is only affected by poor tactics at Arsenal,we’d have seen him excel for Brazil yet that’s not the case. The same decision making issues show up when he plays for the national team. If he can improve on his decision making,he’ll be a very good winger.
For what it’s worth,if it came to choosing between the two,I’d keep Martinelli over Trossard. He’s younger,works hard off the ball,defends diligently and his pace is a threat against teams that play with a high line like Liverpool.
Onyango, at this point in time, Brazil are not the same as they were in the past.
Blaming Martinelli for their current form is as daft as blaming him for MA not solving the problem down our left flank in my opinion.
If, as you say, it’s his decision making that needs improving, then why hasn’t it been adressed by the manager and coaches?
If that was the case, why has MA continued to select him and, as recently as two weeks ago, said he was an important part of his future plans?
I see the purchase of Zubimendi as an admission by MA that he has, finally, seen the need to give Martinelli the support he has lacked – unlike Saka on the right side.
In fact, I see Zubimendi being as influential to Martinelli as Odegaard is to Saka.
The other point I would make, is the defensive work put in by Martinelli versus Saka and how that fits into the thinking of MA.
He is so much better at this than either Saka or Trossard and that could also explain why MA sees him as a player who will be part of the future.
Finally, the purchase of Gyokeres, where he will feed from the opportunities Martinelli will make, from the link up with Zubimendi.
The jigsaw puzzle down the left hand side is nearly complete, we just need a LB who will be a consistent selection by staying fit and it seems we might just have solved that conundrum as well!!
Just my opinion of course.
Ken I haven’t blamed Martinelli,I’ve only highlighted his flaws and why we can do better than him. Indeed I started by stating that I like the player. The support you talk about is something I already talked about in a separate article and acknowledged the benefit that could have on Martinelli.
That said,there are things which are down to a player and can’t be fixed by coaching. If coaching could fix all player shortcomings,everyone would be world class. Coaching really isn’t a magic wand that can fix everything. Like Zinchenko will never be an elite defender no matter what coaching he gets,for instance.
You ask why Arteta continues to play him. It’s because he’s the best we’ve got at the moment. Yet we’ve been linked with left wingers for years now. I don’t think we’d be linked with players like Rodrygo or Antony Gordon if the manager was sold on him being a regular starter.
That doesn’t mean he can’t be a key player for us. I’m sure this club has several players from the past who may not have been key players but provided impact from the bench.
The notion that Martinelli defends more than Saka is not accurate. If anything,Saka defends just as much if not more,going by the stats. Last season,Saka made more tackles than Martinelli despite missing three months. The previous season,Saka led the league in terms of tackles made by forwards. The season before that,Saka was fourth in the league. Martinelli didn’t make top ten in any of those seasons.
I’m one of the fans who doesn’t tolerate the abuse Martinelli gets. But that doesn’t stop me from highlighting the flaws in his game. In my view, he is a very good winger but I wouldn’t put him in that next level with likes of Saka,Yamal, Kvaratskhelia and Raphinha. That’s why I think we can upgrade on him.
Maybe Arsenal can upgrade on Martinelli. But it’s not nearly as straightforward as you originally made out. The ones you have highlighted for comparison are all considered amongst the very best in the world right now. What are the realistic chances of us getting any those players? Unless there are unknown gems that are unearthed an upgrade will likely require a huge transfer.
Whilst there are aspects of his game that need improving Martinelli still has time to step up to an elite level in the attacking parts of his game. In the meantime he will need the right support so that he can improve his output.
Like I said, if he can get the little details right,he’ll be one of the best. You’re right about it not being straightforward. Maybe we just need something different on that side,the way Havertz and Gyokeres are different. Maybe it’s Madueke who’ll be that something different.
Trossard isn’t getting younger and not renewing his contract either so we’ll need another LW sooner or later.
Funny thing I’ve always thought Reiss has all the tools you’d want in your winger- decent pace,tracks back and defends,can go past people,can shoot and is a good crosser of the ball. But for some reason it has never translated to consistent performances in the league.
Trossard also plays left wing for us just like Martinelli. Despite also being isolated, his decision making is usually good while playing there.You have to ask yourself why. Aren’t they coached by the same people? His major flaw is the lack of pace. There are players out there who are more complete than these two. Having the pace of Martinelli, the football intelligence of Trossard and elite one on one dribbling. Maybe Martinelli will develop into this kind of player but at the moment he’s not.
Why has Martinelli, seemingly, regressed then Onyango?
If he has the potential to become one of the best, why hasn’t that happened?
A professional footballer plays as he’s instructed to do and, if he does that, gets selected game after game.
That’s how I see the situation with Martinelli and Arteta up until this season.
MA has strengthened the left hand side of the squad and, surely, that’s an admission that he has got it wrong up until now?
If Mikel has switched Saka and Martinelli around, do you think they would both produce the results that they currently do?
I certainly don’t, as the service Saka gets would dry up, while Martin would be getting the service he needs to show his talent?
Hi Andrew. I do agree with what you said but Saka does have great support on the right. Odegaard. White & Timber to some extent. Martinelli or Trossard don’t have that luxury. Eze coming in would be really beneficial to our left wing conundrum.
I think Madueke will surprise a lot of people on the left side of our attack.
Your negativity on Martinelli is obsessive. Martinelli by far, one of the top performers at Arsenal. He has his off-days like every other player that you never scream at so much about. Saka has been off since coming back from injury. You’re not saying anything about him. Martinelli kept defenses on their toes every single game he played and scores or assists. Havertz liters around and wastes multiple chances and nothing is said about his dragging the team back. People need to shut up and keep their hatred within themselves.
I couldn’t say a downfall! It’s absolutely a weakness that needs agent addressing. Arteta knows it, that’s why he keeps using an out of form Martinelli who again more often he uses for an entire 90 minutes.
Again I keep saying we need our wingers to interchange and vary our play and speed up play. Arteta should try changing tactics for once, he has a squad to back him up
I personally wouldn’t give up on Martinelli. Looking at how we play, there’s no doubt that we are far to right sided. We need a formation where the attacking load is shared so to speak.
We’re far to predictable, White to Odegaard to Saka, rinse and repeat. Other teams have wised up to this. Our left side is practically non-existent. And this is not Martinelli’s fault. The fault is clearly with Arteta and his continued ignoring of playing to players strengths.
While player’s need to adapt to the managers formation, it can also work the other way around. Play to said player’s strength, and who knows they might just start performing to a more consistent higher level. Give it a try Mr Arteta. 🤷♂️
Je pense que MARTINELLI est un très bon joueur. Pourquoi, chercher ailleurs. Pas sûr que RODRIGO fasse mieux que lui. EZE, s’il vient peut le remplacer occasionnellement, bien qu’il soit plutôt un joueur de milieu, capable de se déporter à gauche.