Just after the game against Lyon, I saw Martinelli trending on Twitter and was wondering, only to see some sections of Arsenal fans calling for his head. Why? They thought he had a bad game and was declining.
In all honesty, I agree there's a need for him to up his output in terms of goals contributions, especially if we're to compare him with Saka on the other side. While Saka almost never misses any game, the Bazillian has had to struggle with injuries more.
And when compared to Trossard who doesn't get the amount of playing time he gets, critics are more likely to pick the Belgian based on output, in terms of what's required from him as a forward, especially if you compare both in the last two seasons, despite Trossard joining us midway in his first season.
These aside, I think it would be very unfair to drag him unnecessarily. Modern football has gone beyond just scoring but your overall input for the team, regardless of the manner. There is no hiding his work rate, especially defensively. The way he tracks backs and wins balls is astounding and I believe that also contributes to Arsenal's overall performance.
His style is more direct when compared to Saka and Trossard. His pace, which is perhaps his greatest asset can be well utilised. We have seen games where Arteta plays him from the bench when he knows defenders would have been tired to play against him. So, he offers something different overall and I think that shouldn't be discarded.
I also think he needs to do less of wanting to hug the touchline, which isn't always a bad idea but when it's the only thing you do, it defeats creativity and can be predictable. He also needs to cut more inside to take shots, just like Saka does on the other side. We see how Saka can either run you to the touchline and play with his right foot or he cuts inside to his left foot. This makes him quite unpredictable because whichever foot you give him room, he can punish you.
It is okay to charge Martinelli to do more, but to bin his efforts like he's been trash wouldn't not be tolerated. Hoping he can also silent critics this season.
