Arsenal stumbled through yet another post-Europa League hangover by drawing 1-1 with Fulham at home on Sunday. That’s one win, five losses and a draw in home games following European duty this season. Quite the come down from thrashing Slavia Prague 4-0, but it’s not all doom and gloom.
Eddie Nketiah’s 97th-minute tap-in to cancel out Josh Maja’s penalty was a reminder of his value. Nektiah got the goal, but Arsenal’s most dangerous player on the day was Gabriel Martinelli.
He forced a terrific save from Alphonse Areola in the first half, before picking out sub Nicolas Pepe with a peach of a cross in the second. Pepe’s sort-of-header was cleared off the line, but the chance wouldn’t have been possible without Martinelli’s industry and technique.
The young strikers on the fringes of Mikel Arteta’s first team couldn’t have picked a better moment to showcase their quality. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was missing again as he recovers from malaria, while man of the moment Alexandre Lacazette hobbled off after 70 minutes.
Arsenal suddenly look woefully lacking up top ahead of the Europa semi-final against Unai Emery’s Villarreal. Arteta may feel otherwise after watching Martinelli run Fulham ragged at times. The Brazilian has been wrapped in cotton wool for too long, but he’s already proved his qualities are difficult to replace for the other fringe attackers in this squad.
Willian is never going to match Martinelli’s running power. Nor does he carry anything like the goal threat his junior compatriot brings to a game. Martinelli’s hunger for goal was best summed up by the shot Areola clawed away early doors.
The chance came from Emile Smith Rowe dragging a low cross back to the penalty spot. Dani Ceballos was charging in to give it the leather, but Martinelli backed up and shot on the turn. It took the sting off the ball and made Areola’s job easier. Ceballos was fuming, but I enjoyed Martinelli’s striker’s mentality. This goal is mine, motherfucker! Back the fuck up!
An appetite for goal and running right at defenders is what Martinelli adds to this otherwise pedestrian team. There’s a zip and a buzz whenever he gets on the ball, even if his erratic live-wire act goes against the grain of Arteta’s more uniform and rigid structures.
Nketiah is another busy bee who puts a spring in the collective stride of this Arsenal team. Yes, his technique is unrefined, at best, and he’s not much of a physical presence standing at barely four foot and a filter tip.
What Nketiah offers is a sharpness Aubameyang used to possess and Pepe is still lacking. Fast Eddie is always alert to where chances might develop. It’s why he scores so many tap-ins. He also has a useful knack for sensing the occasion and choosing his moments wisely. What do I mean by that? Well, when he scores, they tend to be valuable goals.
Nketiah has become a forgotten figure in 2021. Even Arteta has admitted he’s not played him as often as he should. The news Folarin Balogun, who was in the travelling party for this fixture (why is a travelling party needed for a home game?), will stay put has only increased calls for Arteta and Edu to cash in on Nketiah. That would be a mistake.
Arteta is developing a nasty habit of shunning players who can bring goals to his team. Look at Joe Willock’s form on loan for Newcastle. There’s no rational argument for why Arsenal couldn’t have used his scoring potential from the middle of the park this season. None whatsoever.
There’s also no guarantee Ceballos and Martin Odegaard will extend their loan spells from Real Madrid, so Willock will be needed next season.
Ceballos thankfully kept his place in the starting XI for Sunday and ought to have opened his account in the Premier League, only for VAR to rule out his first-half header. The move was slick, ending in a deft cross from the returning Hector Bellerin, but the farcical replay system judged Saka was offside by the length of his big toe. True story.
It meant disappointment for Ceballos, but he’s still the kind of cultured and progressive passer Arteta should be building around. Mohamed Elneny is not. The Egyptian is okay as a buffer for the defence, but his contributions to what Arsenal do going forward are negligible when compared with Willock’s engine and eye for goal.
Nketiah is a similar case because Aubameyang had been out of sorts even before his illness. While some of that is down to Arteta’s restrictive tactics, Auba still needs to reinvent himself if he’s going to lead the line the way this manager wants. That’s a tall order for a player who will turn 32 before next season and has looked short of motivation.
Lacazette is a better link man, but like Nketiah, he only has one year left on his contract after this season. The Frenchman hasn’t been shy about putting the ball in Arteta’s court over the issue of a new deal. Perhaps Laca senses some reticence on the part of the Arsenal hierarchy.
Arteta may want to refresh his attack ahead of next season, but Martinelli and Balogun, who still needs to prove himself, won’t be enough. Nketiah still has a role to play, something he can hammer home to his manager if he’s needed to cover injuries the next few weeks.
The 49 Steps 
[…] these are familiar failings. They’re not isolated simply to dismal results against Fulham and Everton at the Emirates […]
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[…] all the goals he forces through sheer hustle, Nketiah also binges on tap-ins. Again, it’s no coincidence for a player who is an absolute demon in the […]
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