Mikel Arteta made a call that left Ian Wright shocked during Arsenal’s dramatic draw with Manchester City. For the second time in a week,
Arsenal’s substitutes came to the rescue, with Gabriel Martinelli once again proving to be the game-changer.
The Brazilian winger had already turned the tide against Athletic Club in the Champions League, and against City, he delivered another decisive impact.
Martinelli and Eberechi Eze combined brilliantly in stoppage time, with the England international supplying the pass for Arsenal’s 93rd-minute equaliser. However, Wright admitted he couldn’t understand why the pair weren’t in the starting XI.
Arteta opted to start Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino, but both were withdrawn early Madueke at half-time and Merino shortly after as Eze and Bukayo Saka were brought on to change the flow of the contest. Martinelli entered the fray in the 80th minute and, as he so often does, made the difference. Still, Wright was firm in his view that the duo should have been on from the start.
“I was very surprised not to see Martinelli start today,” Wright told Premier League Productions.
“Same with Eze. I thought we needed creativity, especially with the way City were playing.”
The Arsenal legend didn’t hide his disappointment at the team’s sluggish opening display and questioned Arteta’s choices.
“We have to take the point and move on, but I was disappointed with the first-half performance. The personnel just weren’t right for what we needed to break them down.”
This isn’t the first time Arteta’s selections have been questioned. Earlier in the season, he faced similar criticism for a cautious lineup in Arsenal’s defeat to Liverpool.
Arteta’s Midfield Experiment Under Scrutiny
Arteta’s decision to use Mikel Merino as a No. 10 raised eyebrows. While the Spaniard is capable of scoring goals, Arsenal lacked dynamism in central areas, which limited their ability to transition effectively.
The contrast was clear once Eze came on. His creativity immediately gave Arsenal a spark, culminating in the injury-time equaliser when he floated a perfectly weighted pass into Martinelli’s path.
The Brazilian still had plenty to do, but his clinical finish completed a move that highlighted exactly what Arsenal’s midfield had been missing.