Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon has left the Gunners trailing league leaders Liverpool by six points with the Anfield side having played a game less.
On what was a tough afternoon for Mikel Arteta’s side, the wintery conditions and the concession of an early Raul Jimenez strike left Arsenal chasing the game from the outset.
It proved a task beyond the North London side, who despite creating 12 goal attempts and an expected goals of 2.03 compared to Fulham’s 0.16, were unable to take the much-needed three points on the road.
Trossard-Saliba-Kiwior-Arsenal
This failure to convert dominant possession and chances into goals and points has become a theme on the road for Arsenal this year with similar performances at Newcastle, Inter Milan and Chelsea last month.
Many Arsenal fans and pundits alike believe the solution is reinforcements in the front line and one player in particular faced criticism following his performance off the bench in the second half.
Gabriel Martinelli replacement being lined up
Gabriel Martinelli faced a scathing assessment from pundit Paul Merson yesterday, who labelled Martinelli’s actions as “criminal.”
Arsenal looked to have sealed three points late on in the game as Martinelli crossed for Bukayo Saka to head home from three yards out and spark wild celebrations in the away end.
Bukayo-Saka-Arsenal
However, Arsenal’s joy was short-lived as VAR ruled that the Brazilian picked the ball up initially in an offside position, despite looking straight along the Fulham backline.
Merson stated: “In footballing terms, that’s criminal from Martinelli. You cannot be offside. You’re looking along the line.”
Inconsistent performances and just three goals and two assists this year from the winger has led Mikel Arteta to consider dipping into the market for reinforcements.
According to Football Transfers, Rafael Leao is one name that has been explored by the Gunners but the Portuguese winger seems unsure over moving in the January window.
AC Milan's Rafael Leao reacts
Arsenal have approached AC Milan over the availability for the dynamic winger, who already has eight goal contributions from his 13 Serie A appearances this season.
Despite signing a new long-term contract in 2023, Leao has endured a troubled relationship with manager Paulo Fonseca, alerting the Gunners to a potential switch to the Emirates. One obstacle to overcome could be his release clause which sits at an eye-watering £145m.
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How Rafael Leao compares to Gabriel Martinelli
Arteta has shown in the past that ruthlessness to upgrade players who are not quite performing to his expected standards- David Raya came in for Aaron Ramsdale, Riccardo Calafiori has ousted Oleksandr Zinchenko.
It seems that the left-wing position could be the next position on Arteta’s list, with Martinelli struggling to replicate his sensational form back in 22/23, where he produced 15 goals and five assists to fire Arsenal to within touching distance of their first league title since 2004.
Gabriel-Martinelli-Arsenal-Stats
Durability is a factor that is high on Arteta’s wishlist and Leao has only missed ten games for club and country since the start of the 22/23 season compared to Martinelli’s 13-game absence.
As mentioned, Leao, who is said to be like an "early Thierry Henry", in the words of Milan coach Stefano Pioli, already boasts four more goal contributions this season than Martinelli across all competitions and the Portuguese winger has a higher XG output with 4.5 compared to Martinelli’s 2.2.
With Arsenal dominating possession in most games and looking to break down compact defences, Leao’s progressive carries (49) and progressive passes (42) also trump Martinelli’s numbers (43 and 15 respectively) with Leao penetrating the opponent’s backline on a more regular basis.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent's goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Finally, with goals and points being the main drivers of improvement for Arsenal, Leao averages 3.15 shots per game compared to Martinelli’s 1.8.
AC Milan's Theo Hernandez celebrates scoring their first goal with Rafael Leao and Tijjani Reijnders.
Whether a deal can be struck in January remains to be seen but it is clear that the Portuguese sensation would provide Arteta such much-needed ammunition to his Arsenal attack.
Trossard-Merino-Martinelli-Arsenal Related
[Arteta must be losing trust in "lazy" Arsenal ace who lost 80% duels](https://www.footballfancast.com/arteta-must-be-losing-trust-in-arsenal-ace-gabriel-martinelli/ "Arteta must be losing trust in "lazy" Arsenal ace who lost 80% duels")
The talented Arsenal forward was in poor form against Fulham.