Arteta must also finally drop 4/10 Arsenal star

Arsenal must approach this afternoon’s fixture against Manchester City with the objective of returning to the capital with three points in the bag.

The past two Premier League campaigns have seen Mikel Arteta‘s brilliant Gunners perform with gusto and elite-level tactical application, but both times, they have fallen just short against Pep Guardiola‘s winning machine.

Now, those of an Arsenal persuasion know that the finest of margins decide a showdown for silverware against the Citizens, whose ability to get the job done is something intrinsic, a sort of muscle memory collective movement that sees the competition toppled time and time again.

Only, Arsenal are hungry, ravenous, even, Arteta won the FA Cup over four years ago to hand him his first major honour as a manager, even though he’d only inherited Unai Emery’s struggling side the previous winter.

There have been significant strides taken in the seasons since, but the north Londoners are still without that glinted prize that consolidates their claim as one of Europe’s finest outfits of the age.

With Martin Odegaard sidelined, Arsenal have lost their creative hub, and so must ensure that their frontline fires on all cylinders to temper the blow. There’s one struggling star who probably shouldn’t start on the left flank.

Arteta must drop Gabriel Martinelli

What has happened to Gabriel Martinelli? The Brazilian winger was once said to be “a talent of the century” by former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who hailed the “incredible striker” after an extraordinary 5-5 draw in the Carabao Cup in 2019, with the Reds winning on penalties.

Perhaps this was somewhat over-effusive praise, but it still highlighted the calibre of talent that Arsenal had landed, bringing Martinelli over from Ituano in Brazil for a fee of just £6m when he was 18.

Martinelli, now 23, has clinched 41 goals and 23 assists across 179 matches for the Gunners, winning the FA Cup, but he has suffered quite the nosedive since Arsenal elevated from top-four contenders to title challengers.

The fleet-footed winger has featured five times for Arsenal this season but has yet to score or assist a goal, hardly sparking back into life after last year’s travails.

Indeed, the £180k-per-week talent posted just six goals and four assists across the entirety of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, notably only hitting the target 0.6 times per game on average.

He might rank among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries per 90 (5.58), as per FBref, but his end product has deserted him and this will not do against Man City, who must be put to the sword with pinpoint precision.

Leandro Trossard will feel that his ball-striking faculty calls for his inclusion in the starting line-up, while summer addition Raheem Sterling will be hoping to start his first match of the season after featuring twice off the bench so far.

The frontline, however, is not the only area of the field that must be tinkered with. Rice returns but Odegaard remains unavailable – despite this, Thomas Partey must be dropped.

Thomas Partey’s performance vs Atalanta

Partey had, to use the social media vernacular, a stinker against Atalanta in the Champions League. Writing in his post-match player ratings, the Evening Standard’s Simon Collings branded the Ghanaian with a 4/10 score, writing: ‘Gave away a penalty for a clumsy tackle. Struggled to really boss the game and hooked before the hour mark.’

Atalanta pack a punch in the middle of the park and this was keenly felt by the Premier League side, who won just 43% of the contested duels throughout the 0-0 draw.

Partey failed to assert his authority. Yes, it was his mistake that gave away the penalty which was expertly saved in double fashion by the red-hot David Raya, but he didn’t impose himself on the Italians and was duly hooked early into the second half.

If Arsenal wish to leapfrog Man City into pole position in the top flight, Partey has to be dropped this afternoon.

Why Thomas Partey must be benched vs Man City

Partey, aged 31, is in the final year of his Arsenal contract and is widely expected to leave in June, with suitors from the Saudi Pro League circling.

He’s good on the ball and physically threatening but it’s clear that he sits somewhere outside of Arteta’s plans and would certainly not be in the startling line-up if Odegaard and summer signing Mikel Merino were both fit.

But they are not. However, given that Kai Havertz is likely to return to his deeper-lying role in the Norwegian’s absence, Rice should be partnered with Jorginho or indeed Havertz, with Gabriel Jesus reprising his role at number nine and enjoying the flanking of the clinical Trossard and the superstar Bukayo Saka on the right.

It’s all about control and composure; this isn’t any old opponent, up next in the Premier League. Man City will pounce on any weaknesses displayed and Arteta needs to craft the perfect team. Partey is best left on the bench, and brought on if need be.