Even though Arsenal don’t have that 20-goal striker at their disposal, they have done very well to be the top scorers in the Premier League this season.
For a long time now, there has been talk about Mikel Arteta needing to bring in a striker.
But he has ignored those cries from Arsenal fans, and instead, trusted the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka to showcase their stuff.
That was proven last season when they narrowly lost out on the Premier League title to Pep Guardiola’s Treble-winners Manchester City.
Three Arsenal players hit double figures in terms of goals – Martinelli, Odegaard and Saka – and proved to the world that the much-craved striker wasn’t needed.
Martinelli, for example, scored an incredible 15 Premier League goals and supplied five assists, which included him earning a maiden Brazil call-up and then forcing himself into his nation’s World Cup squad in Qatar.
But fast forward to the present, and Darren Bent feels the 22-year-old has gone backwards in Arsenal colours, as he told Premier League Productions (22/04/24 at 2:15 pm).
Bent added that the Arsenal star’s numbers have ‘deserted him’ and that he isn’t as electric as he was during the previous campaign.
Gabriel Martinelli’s form for Arsenal
“They have had to,” said Bent about Arsenal’s midfield scoring most of their goals.
“You look at Martinelli’s form this season, I know he has had a few injuries as well, his form and numbers have deserted him. I would say his performances have been okay, maybe not as electric as last season.”
Gabriel Martinelli v Leandro Trossard
The Belgian has been starting ahead of Martinelli in recent weeks and he has backed his manager’s call by scoring.
That was proven when he opened the scoring during Arsenal’s crucial 2-0 win at Wolves over the weekend.
Over the course of the campaign, Trossard has netted on nine occasions from 29 league matches, with Martinelli only scoring six, even though he has played 600 more minutes.
It’s pretty clear that, from now until the end of the campaign, Trossard is going to be the man for Arsenal on the flanks.