Wright fires message to Arteta over struggling Arsenal star - 'I hate it'

01 January 2024 , 09:45

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Wright fires message to Arteta over struggling Arsenal star - 'I hate it'

Ian Wright wants to see Arsenal get the ball quicker to Gabriel Martinelli after the Brazilian winger's slow start to the season.

Martinelli, 22, has scored just two goals and provided two assists in 18 Premier League games this season, with his latest blank coming in Arsenal's 2-1 loss at Fulham on New Year's Eve. That result has left Mikel Arteta's side fourth in the Premier League table.

Arsenal will slip five points behind leaders Liverpool if Jurgen Klopp's team beat Newcastle, who have lost four of their last five Premier League games, on New Year's Day. Wright believes the Gunners need to get the best out of Martinelli to challenge Liverpool.

Martinelli was one of Arsenal's best players last season, scoring 15 goals and providing five assists in the Premier League. Former Gunners star Wright would love to see Martinelli regain that form to reignite his team's stuttering bid for a first title in 20 years.

Wright believes Arsenal are too dependent on Bukayo Saka, who scored against Fulham. Saka plays on the right flank, with Martinelli on the left. "You look at our build-up play, and it’s very Saka-orientated," Wright told the Wrighty's House podcast.

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"(Martin) Odegaard - Saka, Odegaard - Saka. And when you look at Martinelli, especially earlier on when he was doing what he was doing. He was torching people. I would love to see at some stage Mikel find the same kind of service to him as quickly as they possibly can because he is somebody that wants to go past on the outside or on the inside."

Gabriel Martinelli is struggling for form this season (Getty Images)

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Wright, who was speaking before the Fulham defeat, added: "If Martinelli gets the ball and there’s two behind, Martinelli, we know that he will try to take them on.

"But on the main, he will come back and pass it back. I hate to see Martinelli going back the other way because the ball has not got there quick enough. Those are the things that I am thinking we have to be quicker in getting the ball to him."

Arteta hooked Martinelli and Ben White in the 67th minute of the Fulham game to bring on Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus, with the Gunners trailing. "When you don’t change the result, they didn’t (work)," said Arteta on his tactical switch.

"That’s for sure, it didn’t work in the first half, and it didn’t work in the second half. Throughout 100 minutes, we were never at the levels that we wanted to (be at)."

Tom Blow