Even though Sunday put a slight dampener on things, the outlook for Arsenal this season is a positive one.
As long as the Gunners can keep their star players from missing as many games as they did last season, they should remain in the Premier League title race until the very end.
Moreover, even if the club do suffer with more injuries, they’ve done an incredible job bolstering the squad with brilliant alternatives over the summer.
Yet, there are still some issues, including one player Mikel Arteta has to give up on, a player who is earning more than marquee signing Eberechi Eze.
What Eze brings to Arsenal
The signing of Eze in and of itself lifted the mood of the Arsenal fanbase last month, as, on top of getting one over Tottenham Hotspur, the club were addressing a few problem areas in one deal.
For example, in addition to scoring goals last season, a significant problem for the Gunners was simply creating chances.
According to data from Stats Muse, despite finishing as runners-up, Arteta’s outfit were only the fifth best team at creating goalscoring chances, chalking up just 427 compared to Liverpool’s 502.
In other words, it was crystal clear to all who watched that the Gunners were in desperate need of some ingenuity in the team, and while one player alone won’t see them create the most chances in the league, Eze will undoubtedly help.
For example, according to Stats Muse, the Englishman created 59 chances on his own in the league last year, which is all the more impressive given that he did so for a mid-table side.
The second significant benefit of signing the 27-year-old is his ability to play in multiple positions.
One week, he might be tasked with starting in the middle of the park, either to cover for or replace, should his form not improve, Martin Odegaard, and then the next week, be the starting left-winger.
At the moment, it feels more likely that the £175k-per-week “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, will start in the latter position.
After all, that is where the player who needs to be dropped and moved on is currently playing.
The Arsenal dud earning way more than Eze
If you were to ask fans what the most significant problem area in this Arsenal team is, most would probably say the left wing.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
Leandro Trossard has not looked convincing for nearly a year now; Noni Madueke has looked uncomfortable out there on the few times he has played there, and worst of all, fans are losing patience with Gabriel Martinelli.
The Brazilian wideman was once one of the most exciting members of the Gunners’ squad, with his breakneck speed and impressive finishing ability making him a key part of the side’s first title-challenging season in 22/23.
However, it has been a long time since we’ve seen that version of the 23-year-old, and instead of picking up 15 goals and six assists in the league like he did in 22/23, he was only able to amass a tally of eight goals and four assists last season.
Moreover, what is particularly frustrating about the winger is that, time after time, he will find himself with the ball at his feet and with one defender ahead of him and, instead of beating his man or dinking the ball over their head, he’ll pass it backwards or run into them.
This was on full display on Sunday when the Guarulhos-born ace failed to have any positive attacking impact on the game whatsoever, so much so that podcaster Phil Costa labelled him “clunky and indecisive,” which is about the worst way to describe a winger.
This wouldn’t be such a problem if the former Ituano gem were a fringe squad player on a low wage who could be easily moved on, but instead, he’s a core part of the squad and making an astronomical £180k-per-week.
Appearances
51
43
Minutes
3564′
3303′
Goals
10
14
Assists
6
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.31
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
222.75′
132.12′
That comes out to a whopping £9.36m-per-year, and when you compare his output to Eze’s over the last couple of seasons, it’s impossible to ignore how poor a use of funds this is.
Now, there is, of course, a chance Martinelli could one day rediscover the form that led to him earning his current contract.
However, after two seasons of underwhelming performances and a poor start to this one, that feels very, very unlikely.
Therefore, Arteta should be dropping him from the team for the next game, and Arsenal should do what they can to move him on as soon as possible.
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