Arteta must reconsider and start Trossard ahead of Martinelli in the future

Arsenal faced a difficult match in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday night, hosting German giants Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium. Anyone who witnessed the game would agree that it was an intense football battle between two excellent teams.

Fortunately, the game ended 2-2 after 90 minutes, with goals from Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Harry Kane, and Serge Gnabry. Despite our Gunners’ admirable performance, Bayern’s composure was commendable; they didn’t faze in front of Arsenal fans who had filled the Emirates (Bayern fans were banned for that game).

That said, aiming for the win, Mikel Arteta made significant alterations to his lineup in the second half. Aside from benching Jakub Kiwior for Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arsenal benched Gabriel Jesus for Leandro Trossard, and Jorginho for Jesus.

Can we address Martinelli’s underwhelming performance last night?

After suffering an injury in Arsenal’s 6-0 victory against Sheffield at the start of March, Gabriel Martinelli made his first start against Bayern. Many assumed that the Brazilian, given his recent cameo appearances, was eager to impress. However, the winger did not live up to expectations. The 22-year-old provided little threat to Bayern Munich’s defense during the encounter, looking uninspired and toothless on the left wing.

I’d be surprised if Martinelli starts when Arsenal play next, given his performance on Tuesday night. In recent weeks, Mikel Arteta has been fielding Gabriel Jesus on the left wing, but after Leandro Trossard’s game-changing performance versus Bayern, I believe he should get a chance on the left wing in the upcoming fixtures.

It’s time for Arteta to be ruthless with his selection; Martinelli needs to fight his way back into the team. Trossard deserves to start; we see the Belgian come on and get into scoring positions every single time, while we absolve Martinelli of all guilt. That’s not fair.

It’s often perplexing why Gabriel Martinelli gets to start games ahead of Leandro Trossard, who is a far superior goalscorer and playmaker. Mikel Arteta should reward Leandro Trossard for his impressive performances by starting him against Villa; if he seizes the opportunity, he could be the one to silence Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.