Ian Wright has urged Mikel Arteta to not bench Arsenal duo Gabriel Martinelli and Eberechi Eze following the 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
Both players were left out of Arsenal’s starting line-up with Eze replacing Mikel Merino at half-time and Martinelli coming on for the last 10 minutes.
Arsenal were losing the match before their respective introductions with Eze proving the assist for Martinelli’s 93rd-minute equaliser on Sunday.
Eze was dropped from the XI after starting in the 2-0 Champions League win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, which ‘disappointed’ Theo Walcott.
Martinelli, meanwhile, was also named on the bench despite registering a goal and an assist in the victory over Bilbao.
Get personalised updates on Arsenal everyday
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
Ahead of Arsenal’s next Premier League game against Newcastle United, Gunners legend Wright says Martinelli and Eze should both be starting.
‘In my eyes, I’m starting Martinelli and Eze,’ Wright told Premier League Productions.
‘Martinelli can get the crowd going. Eze can make those passes like we saw him do. We need to start that quickly.
‘We’re looking at a City side who came to defend. When have you ever seen that? We’ve never seen that before.’
Metro at the Match: Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City
Metro at the Match returns to bring you all the analysis from the biggest games of the season.
Here are our team’s key takeaways from Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City.
Anonymous Gyokeres again
‘Viktor Gyokeres struggled to have any sort of impact for Arsenal again, which is becoming a worrying pattern when they face a good side.
‘It remains early in the Swede’s Arsenal career but he has been concerningly anonymous in the majority of games he has played so far.
‘Goals have come at home against Leeds and Nottingham Forest, but he has been completely forgettable against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Athletic Club and now Manchester City.
‘Gyokeres may well end the season with decent numbers if he continues to be a flat track bully, but will he win Arsenal the Premier League? Probably not.’ Phil Haigh – sports reporter.
Arteta gets midfield selection all wrong
‘Given the criticism Mikel Arteta faced for his midfield selection in the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool this season, it was a shock to see him go with the same trio at home to Manchester City.
‘Arsenal were far too negative in that match at Anfield and it was the same problem in the first-half against City as Arteta named Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino in his XI.
‘The Gunners were lacking in the creative department, especially with Martin Odegaard out injured and Bukayo Saka deemed not fit enough to start.
‘Eberechi Eze was dropped to the bench – a decision which baffled the pundits – and Arteta was surely aware of his error as he decided to bring on Eze and Saka for Merino and Noni Madueke at the break.
‘That’s twice this season Arteta has got his selection wrong in big games this season and he must learn from this mistake.’ Liam Grace – sports reporter.
Haaland wins this round with arch rival Gabriel
‘This was the latest battle in the ongoing war between Erling Haaland and Gabriel Magalhães and it was a clear win for the giant Norwegian.
‘Haaland left Gabriel in his wake as he sprinted beyond the Arsenal defence to score the opener, calmly finishing to put his team ahead.
‘The Brazilian was made to look slow, which he isn’t, but the Manchester City superstar looks like a powerful race horse when he gets going and he wasn’t going to be caught.
‘The rivalry was sparked when Haaland threw the ball at Gabriel’s head after a Manchester City equaliser in September last year, with the Arsenal man gaining revenge by screaming in the Norwegian’s face during the Gunners’ rampant 5-1 win in February.
‘No doubt Haaland has regained the upper hand.’ Phil Haigh – sports reporter.
Quizzed about Arteta calling Martinelli a ‘finisher’ rather than a substitute, Wright added: ‘It sounds different to being a substitute – but you’re still a substitute.
‘The fact is, you’ve got to come on and you’ve got to try and save the game again.
‘You want to start the game and prove you can do that when you’re starting.
‘Is he going to get typecast now? Because he’s done it in the Champions League, he’s done it in another big game against a big team.
‘At some stage, you think, ‘When do I get my chance to be the starter?’ – I think, you know, his performances with him coming off the bench and doing what he’s doing, only highlight the fact, ‘I want more, I’m going to prove I can do more, and when I do get the opportunity, I’ve got to be more consistent so people don’t think I’m am impact player’.’
Emmanuel Adebayor, meanwhile, added: ‘Pep Guardiola in his first year at Barcelona, he had Deco, Samuel Eto’o, Ronaldinho… he didn’t know who to play.
‘I think Arteta is in that situation now. He will have a player who will knock on his door every week and say, ‘I want to play’ – that is where he must make a call.
‘He must manage all these players. It’s not easy when you have players who want to play week in, week out. Some are from Brazil. Some are from England.
‘They are internationals who want to play for their countries. To play for your country, you must start for your club. We’ll see how Arteta manages the situation because it can be problematic for the club.’
