Fabian Hürzeler was the first to criticize Arsenal’s ugly win against Brighton & Hove Albion. He claimed that the Gunners’ show was certainly not football as he understood it. But Mikel Arteta won’t care. After all, it was football that perhaps only champions-elect could understand.
At this stage of the season, elegance is not an issue for Arsenal as they only have eight games left. Results were paramount and while Manchester City suffered a crushing defeat to Nottingham Forest, the Premier League leaders remained resolute under pressure at the Amex.
But despite the Gunners leading by seven points, it was yet another tough night for Victor Gokeres, who is becoming increasingly frustrated watching the game in an Arsenal shirt.
Gokeres’ instability is becoming a problem for Arsenal
Gokeres, who became Tottenham Hotspur’s existential problem a week and a half ago, appeared to have allayed concerns about his starting position under Arteta.
He was a physically dominant finisher and Arsenal believed they had spent £63.5 million on him in the summer to increase his tally to 10 Premier League goals for the season.
However, after a week, I’m back to square one. The Swede barely put on his gloves on Brighton’s last line and it is becoming clear that he is not a player who takes an active role in the game. Gökeres was too quiet in his debut while his teammates struggled.
At the Amex, the big-money forward made just three touches inside Brighton’s box, failing to win eight duels, before slotting neatly into Kai Havertz just before time expired. When Arsenal needed a strong, intelligent hold-up player, Havertz became such a player when he entered the competition, but it was a weak display.
However, it would be harsh to pinpoint Arsenal’s attacking struggles solely on the forwards. Once again, the Gunners were left with no choice but to let their defensive performance slip.
Arsenal star shows why he must be sold after Brighton
There have been many positive events at Emirates since the arrival of Andrea Berta. The sporting director made a big splash last summer with considerable success, and as a result put Arsenal on the path to becoming champions.
Unfortunately, what the sporting director still needs to do is resolve the Gunners’ sale issue. Their biggest selling point is still Folarin Balogun, who left for AS Monaco in 2023 for £35 million.
Arsenal’s biggest ever sale
Take a look at the record departures in Gunners history.
That simply has to change, and it should start with the sale of Gabriel Martinelli this summer. The Brazilian’s game at Brighton should be the last straw for Berta, who will only have to make a move himself after losing his place in the starting XI.
Gabriel Martinelli vs Brighton | statistics |
|---|---|
minutes | 60 |
path | 3 |
dribble | 0/2 |
touch the offensive box | 1 |
Gokeres’ struggles at Brighton start to make sense when you look closely at the people around him. Martinelli completed just three passes in 60 minutes and failed to complete a single dribble. It was as ineffective as he has been for much of the campaign.
Now is the time for north Londoners to raise their money and finally cash in on one of their struggling star players. Wideman is still only 24 and could still leave in a big-money deal to make room for an immediate upgrade at the Emirates.
Given that Leandro Trossard is now 31 years old, the left wing could become a problem for Arsenal if they are not careful. And it’s not a problem Martinelli can solve.
It is reportedly worth around £51 million, and the sale of the latter and subsequent addition of long-term upgrades in that area should be one of Bertha’s priorities this summer.
He’s a monster: Arsenal appear to have signed a Rice-Gabriel hybrid
Arsenal showed great defending as they defeated Brighton 1-0 on Wednesday night.
