Arsenal saw their lead at the top of the Premier League cut down to just four points after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Thursday night.
The Gunners took the lead on the hour mark thanks to an excellent Noni Madueke header, but were pegged back by Keane Lewis-Potter’s header just ten minutes later. Brentford then came close on a number of occasions late on to take all three points, but the points were shared on the night in west London.
However, the north London side also had a huge chance in second-half stoppage time to claim all three points as Jurrien Timber found Martinelli in the penalty area, but he couldn’t deliver, and it summed up why the club should be willing to let him move on.
Arsenal Need to Upgrade on Martinelli
Martinelli was brought on in the second half as a substitute to replace Leandro Trossard, who didn’t have his usual impact from the left-flank.
The Brazilian is usually a good impact sub with his pace, and that showed in stoppage time after Viktor Gyokeres put Timber through on goal with a great pass. The Brentford defender eventually caught the Dutchman up, though, and he passed the responsibility on to Martinelli, who just had to slot the ball past Caoimhin Kellaher to secure the win.
But instead, Martinelli took an unnecessary touch to move the ball onto his right foot, which allowed the goalkeeper to rush out and save it. It was the only moment of note in the 24-year-old’s performance, and that saw him given a 2/10 rating by Arsenal Insider.
But while Martinelli has had good spells in the past, this has become a far too common occurrence with him, and Arsenal need to look to upgrade on him this summer, which means allowing him to move on.
Chance to Cash In on Martinelli
There has been speculation in recent transfer windows about clubs showing an interest in the left-winger, and this is the perfect chance to cash in on him.
A miss like the one against Brentford could be the difference between winning a league title and not, and you can’t have passengers in the squad who aren’t reliable in those situations if you’re serious about being successful.
Barcelona have been linked with a move, as have Saudi clubs, and Arsenal must now cut their ties and find a way to upgrade this summer, or risk being left behind once again.