Arsenal have new solution to £6m weakness after double transfer

Arsenal's squad is strong. There are not many areas where holes can be picked.

Often it is how the team operates on the field, with a lack of adventurous passing or intent, that is criticised more than the players themselves. This was the case against Liverpool, although the selection of Mikel Merino as a third functional midfielder did raise some eyebrows against an opposition who had been extremely open in the first two matches of the season.

In recent years the question has been more around depth. How can Kai Havertz win a title on his own up front when Gabriel Jesus is so often out with injury? Can Bukayo Saka get some support on the right? What happens when the replacement for Martin Odegaard is an 18-year-old?

These issues have been addressed in the window of Andrea Berta. There was, of course, time for another centre-back who can play at full-back. There is always time for a centre-back who can play at full-back at Arsenal.

But perhaps most importantly, beyond the Viktor Gyokeres experiment and Noni Madueke filling in for Saka, is Eberechi Eze. He is the ace in the pack.

Eze is different to Arsenal's other wide men in that he is less straight-line and more of an inside attacker. He has played primarily as one of the narrow No.10s for Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace and may well end up there in a back three for England.

This is not a single-skilled player, though. Far from it. Eze is all smoothness and curves. He flows and glides. When needed, he does act on the touchline but still has so many weapons to cause danger.

These are valuable attributes when faced with deep defences, something Arsenal have struggled with for so long. Eze is the lock pick and the point of difference. He is the man to take on his man and slide a pass. He will take on a shot from distance or fake to go down the line and produce a pinpoint cross.

At a time of uncertainty on Arsenal's left side, he is assured quality. Whilst Arsenal have been made to pay for lacking cover for Saka and Odegaard, their options on the other flank have been an issue as well.

Gabriel Martinelli is more than 18 months removed from his last spell of top level form and it says plenty that many from outside were left confused by the decision to offer Leandro Trossard a new contract. Both have been useful but neither are the answer to challenging for major trophies in their current guise.

Arsenal were never looking to sell Martinelli this summer, especially not as they seek to add genuine depth to their squad, but if a good offer had come in then it would have been hard to turn down. Martinelli has become an increasing problem with hesitancy seeping into his game.

Madueke will now challenge him for minutes when he isn't busy on the right. Eze is the most obvious replacement. Together, they bring Mikel Arteta plenty of desirable characteristics to help in a variety of scenarios.

The clamour for Eze has only grown in an opening three games that saw Arsenal create just 0.58 open play xG from their first two away from home. The caveat is that trips to Manchester United and Liverpool are never easy.

Martinelli was faced with an extremely shaky United backline that has crumbled under much less pressure over the past 12 months. Then, at Anfield, he was pitted with an out-of-position Dominik Szoboszlai.

The Liverpool man did a great job but Gary Neville was left frustrated at Martinelli's safety-first approach which mirrored that of his coach and teammates. It is now six years since he joined Arsenal and the feeling is that his stock may never have been lower.

As a teenager from Ituano in 2019, Arsenal picked up Martinelli for around £6million in 2019. He has developed into an established Premier League forward with a high of 15 goals in the 2022/23 campaign when all the hype paid off.

That is now a giant outlier both in terms of output and underlying numbers. He scored six more than his xG metrics and tends to fall in the middle ground between six to eight goals with four to six assists.

Whilst this is perfectly acceptable, and Martinelli has scored some big goals, there is a sense that between himself and Trossard, Arsenal have been missing something that Eze will bring.

Whether that is just a spark or shine from being new remains to be seen. Arsenal certainly have more options than in previous years and Eze will be viewed as the solution to a key position.

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