"His pace could be vital" – Martin Keown names Arsenal star who could decide north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal legend Martin Keown has claimed that Gabriel Martinelli could prove to be a difference maker in his team's Premier League match at Tottenham Hotspur this Sunday (April 28).
The Gunners, who have lost just one of their last 14 league matches, are currently atop the 2023-24 Premier League table with 77 points from 34 games. They will be hoping to claim bragging rights against their north London rivals and maintain their ongoing title push.
Tottenham, on the other hand, will be going into their upcoming contest against the Gunners on the back of a 4-0 league loss at Newcastle United. They are fifth in the standings with 60 points from 32 games.
In his column for Daily Mail, Keown previewed Arsenal's key encounter against the Ange Postecoglou-coached outfit at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He wrote (h/t TBR):
"Ange Postecoglou's philosophy is to push players up the pitch and that inevitably leaves a high defensive line. That was dismantled in Tottenham's last game by Newcastle's lightining-fast forwards."
Claiming Mikel Arteta could hand Martinelli a start, Keown concluded:
"With that in mind, Arteta may pick Gabriel Martinelli to make his first Premier League start in nearly two months. His pace could be vital on the left alongside the speed of Bukayo Saka, and they will be capable of latching on to Martin Odegaard's balls in behind."
Martinelli, who recorded 15 goals and five assists in the Premier League last term, has been a shadow of himself this campaign. The 22-year-old Brazilian has found the back of the opposition net just six times and provided four assists in 31 league appearances so far.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta offers insight into process of signing Kai Havertz last summer
At a pre-match press conference, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was queried how much of Kai Havertz's current form is down to his decision of signing the German. He replied (h/t football.london):
"It's never my decision, it's our decision. We made the decision super aligned with the club's vision. On the sporting side, Edu [Gaspar] and I make our recommendation. There are a lot of very important people and at the end you need the ownership to back you and make things happen. We were very convinced that they were characters first and player to fit in our model for the club."
Earlier this Tuesday, Havertz popped up as a hot topic after becoming the first star to play for Chelsea and then hit a brace against them in the league. He helped the Gunners register a 5-0 win over the Blues.
So far this campaign, the 24-year-old versatile midfielder has netted 12 goals and contributed five assists in 47 total appearances for Arsenal.