Arsenal have gone from strength to strength under Mikel Arteta, but silverware has been lacking from an otherwise exceptional tenure.
Having taken Manchester City to the wire across the past two Premier League campaigns, Arsenal felt they had made the increments needed to win the title this term, but a series of injuries to key personnel have allowed Liverpool to establish a six-point foothold at the top of the table.
With Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus currently sidelined, the last thing that the Gunners needed was another forward to be thrown into the infirmary, but when Gabriel Martinelli was taken off during this week’s Carabao Cup defeat against Newcastle United, fans feared the worst.
Gabriel Martinelli joins the injury list
Arsenal’s depleted frontline could have done without the loss of another valued member, leaving Arteta with a dearth of options over the coming weeks.
The 23-year-old has only scored seven goals across 35 matches for Arsenal this season, also assisting four goals, but he’s regularly played on the right flank in recent weeks, bagging against Aston Villa and setting up Kai Havertz during the drubbing of Man City.
Replaced by Ethan Nwaneri at St James’ Park, the north Londoners will be hopeful that they have enough to continue to challenge Liverpool for top spot over the coming fixtures – Leicester, West Ham and Nottingham Forest are ahead this month – but fans are understandably frustrated that transfer action wasn’t taken in January.
Influence is not exclusively quantifiable by goals and assists, and though Martinelli has left plenty to be desired with his efforts this season, he’s still an important part of the team, bringing speed and balance to the left flank.
Now he’s sidelined, Arsenal’s task becomes all the more daunting, and it must make Arteta wish that he had not sold Emile Smith Rowe last summer.
Arteta must regret selling Emile Smith Rowe
Fulham will have felt they secured a coup when signing Smith Rowe last August, paying a club-record £34m fee for the silky midfielder.
Smith Rowe, 24, had been a highly regarded member of Arsenal’s wave of homegrown quality, but had seen his minutes limited over the final two campaigns of his Emirates career, thus resigned to moving for a fresh start.
In the overtures of the sale, correspondent Charles Watts revealed that Arteta did not want to cash in on the Hale End graduate but was resigned to doing so given that Smith Rowe wanted regular playing time.
As you can see below, his Gunners career tapered off as Arteta’s reign hit its stride. His decision was more than justifiable.
23/24
13 (3)
0
1
22/23
12 (0)
0
2
21/22
33 (21)
10
2
20/21
20 (18)
2
4
19/20
2 (1)
0
0
Injuries didn’t help his case, but it was clear that Smith Rowe needed to leave given that he wasn’t earning anywhere near enough opportunities in the Premier League.
However, hindsight can be both a wonderful and agonising thing, and it’s frustrating to see that the English playmaker would have been able to play a big part for Arsenal this term, enjoying plenty of football even before Martinelli was struck from match fitness.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher once said that Smith Rowe is perhaps the best player in English football when running with the ball at his feet, while his 10-goal haul from 21 starts in 2021/22 highlighted the goalscoring prowess within his skill set.
As per FBref, Smith Rowe ranks among the top 2% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers this season for pass completion and the top 7% for progressive passes per 90, perfectly illustrating the stylistic approach that would have been perfect for Arteta’s current system – having, after all, played within it before.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
Sofascore also records that he has missed just two big chances in the league for the Cottagers, putting four away, emphasising the clinical edge that Arteta so desperately craves.
Smith Rowe is not a striker, the position of which remains the most pressing concern for Arteta’s side, but he’s a dynamic and homegrown attacking threat, previously hailed as a “joy to watch” by his former manager.
Martinelli’s recent injury magnifies the failure to bolster the frontline this winter, serving as a stark reminder that Smith Rowe could have played an important role for the Gunners this term, but instead plies his trade elsewhere.
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