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Gabriel Martinelli earned plaudits for his performance despite Arsenal again failing to win in the Premier League .
The 18-year-old attacker scored his second goal of the league campaign, and ninth in all competitions, to give the Gunners the lead initially against Sheffield United.
A late equaliser from John Fleck means Arsenal have won just one of the last seven in the top flight, but Mikel Arteta ‘s side did at least show further signs of improvement .
It was Martinelli’s first 90-minute run-out since before Christmas, having struggled with a hamstring injury recently, and Arteta praised his industry and mentality.
“He’s an 18-year-old kid with all the enthusiasm but as well, he’s so brave to make decisions, to threaten the opponent every time,” said Arsenal’s new manager.
Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins ArsenalShow all 11 1 /11Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal Mikel Arteta agrees to become Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is poised to return to Arsenal to replace Unai Emery as manager, but who are the winners and losers of his appointment?
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Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal Winners: Mesut Ozil The German has outlasted Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery and the short interim reign on Freddie Ljungberg, despite being one of the prime targets for the fans’ ire over is apparently lethargic displays this season. Ozil has long been one of the enigmas of the Premier League, having a talent that few across the division can rival yet displaying it on so few occasions that the prospect of his selection at all sometimes beggars belief. But the arrival of a former teammate in Arteta could well see Ozil receive the arm around the shoulder that he desperately craves, and at a time when he has put himself in the headlines for reasons beyond football, it may be the perfect cure to get him focussed on playing his best again. After all, who else do Arsenal have to select in his position who is performing well?
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Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal Mikel Arteta Of course, this is the obvious one. Arteta receives his first permanent manager’s job at a club where he can’t really do much worse than what is already happening, yet has the potential and talent to shoot right up the table with just a couple of wins. It’ll be a tough ask for Arteta, but he knows the club inside out and – just like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – will be afforded more time than most due to his previous relationship there.
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Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang As long as Arteta sticks with him as captain, the arrival of the new manager could see Aubameyang benefit from what Pep Guardiola has taught his young understudy. Guardiola has always favoured playing one lone striker and for too long Aubameyang has been wasted out wide to accommodate both he and Alexandre Lacazette. Arteta’s arrival could well see Aubameyang return to being the main man in the middle.
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Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal Arsenal fans It has not been a kind campaign for Arsenal fans to endure so far this season but the arrival of Arteta will bring a renewed optimism at the Emirates and – the club will desperately hope – a new manager bounce that they failed to get with Ljungberg. Whether or not Arteta is the answer to Arsenal’s issues remains to be seen, but he should help to heal a fractured fanbase and bring calm to a club that has been in freefall in just about every area.
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Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal Nicolas Pepe The £72m club-record signing clearly has something about him, and Arteta could be the man who finally brings out his best side at Arsenal. With just four goals to his name since arriving from Lille in the summer, it would be fair of Arteta to demand more from his high-cost winger, but in return Pepe may now finally have a manager who truly believes in his talents.
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Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal Losers: Pep Guardiola Although the Manchester City manager wanted Arteta to remain in his backroom staff, he admitted that he could not see a reason for the former Arsenal midfielder remaining at the Etihad when offered a head coaching role. City have let their title-winning intensity slip this season; they have had their worst start to a Premier League under Guardiola ever, with three defeats in their opening 13 games, to leave them in third place, floundering nine points behind leaders Liverpool. Guardiola’s loss of his assistant manager can only increase the pressure on the manager’s shoulders, and it could put the Spaniard’s long-term future at the club under more doubt.
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Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal David Luiz David Luiz, who won both the Premier League and Champions League with Chelsea, has struggled to make an impression for the Gunners this season. Although he has started 14 of the side’s 16 Premier League games, fans have argued that this is not because of the defensive skill of the 32-year-old but because Arsenal do not have anything better at their disposal. Luiz has been a catastrophe alongside Sokratis, and both players are likely to be sold in the not too distant future if Arteta is in favour of a revamp.
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Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal Sokratis Papastathopoulos Which brings us to Sokratis. Arsenal’s current squad is lacking depth in multiple areas, but nowhere as greatly as in its defence which has been labelled “embarrassing” by critics this season. Arteta will have to look to fix this problem area across the next two transfer windows through both buying and selling players. Sokratis has fallen out of favour with fans after multiple shaky performances throughout the season, with many questioning why the defender continues to be fielded.
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Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal Alexandre Lacazette If Arteta sticks by Aubameyang, Lacazette could find himself reduced once again to the role of impact substitute – something that we have already seen frustrates him. The problem for Arsenal is that Lacazette is two years younger than Aubameyang, but by being placed repeatedly in this role he could easily have his head turned by other interested clubs. Choosing how to handle his two superstar strikers could be one of Arteta’s biggest challenges.
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Winners and losers as Mikel Arteta joins Arsenal Joe Willock Emery had given young midfielder Willock plenty of game time this season, before Ljungberg trusted him to start his first game in charge in the form of the recent defeat by Brighton. It backfired, with Willock hauled off at half-time, and the introduction of Pepe appears to have given Arsenal a little bit of life, if nothing else. If Ljungberg and Per Mertesacker, his former academy coach, weren’t going to stick by him, it’s highly unlikely that Arteta will, at least in the immediate future.
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“He’s all the time in the middle of the goal, waiting for an opportunity to come.
“The fact he hasn’t played 90 minutes for a while – since his injury – but is still in the way he went about every single action is impressive.”
Martinelli also drew praise from Arsenal strikers past and present after the game.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang took to Twitter to laud the Brazilian’s approach to the game, while Ian Wright referenced his movement, sharpness and ability in the box.
Martinelli’s return to fitness and goal threat, whether from the flanks or the centre of attack, is a welcome bonus for Arteta and Arsenal.
Aubameyang has begun a three-game suspension, Alexandre Lacazette hasn’t scored in the league since the start of December and big-money signing Nicolas Pepe only has three league goals all season.
Arteta must now decide whether or not to retain his young forward in the side for difficult away matches, as Arsenal travel to Chelsea and Burnley in the league either side of an FA Cup trek to Bournemouth.
Fans have welcomed his appointment and the start to life under the novice manager, but with just three wins in the last 19 games across competitions, stretching back to under Unai Emery, it has largely been a season to forget, with Martinelli a rare bright spot.
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