With pre-season out of the way, Mikel Arteta will now review his Arsenal squad ahead of planning for their opening Premier League fixture.
Over the course of Arsenal’s recent pre-season friendlies, Mikel Arteta’s players will have been vying for inclusion in the starting XI against Wolves when the new season gets underway this weekend.
Several Arsenal players proved a point in pre-season and will have made a positive impression on the manager. Others, however, will feel that they still have plenty of work to do.
(R) Gabriel Martinelli celebrates scoring the 2nd Arsenal goal with (L) Fabio Vieira during the pre season friendly between Arsenal and Manchester …
Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli underwhelmed last season and needs to bounce back this time around. Whilst the Brazilian winger is hugely talented, and still just 23-years-old, the Gunners can’t afford to carry any passengers, particularly with the margins at the top of the Premier League so tight.
In that sense, the attacker could well be playing for his future in North London this season. If that is the case, he needs to up his game and find a way back to his best quickly. Martinelli was criticised by Arsenal fans for his showing in the most recent friendly against Lyon.
Fabio Vieira
Another player fighting to prove that he belongs at Arsenal is Fabio Vieira, but unlike Martinelli, the Portuguese ace does not have many past highlights at Arsenal to fall back upon. Since his arrival at the Emirates Stadium in the summer of 2022, the midfielder has struggled to impress on a consistent basis.
In a recently friendly against Bayer Leverkusen, Vieira deputised for Bukayo Saka on the right flank. The 24-year-old is not well-suited to this role, though, and has emerged from pre-season with no clearer sense of where he belongs in Arteta’s plans.
Jorginho
At 32-years-old, and with over 550 club appearances under his belt, Jorginho is in the twilight years of his career. The Italian is valued by Arteta for his experience and leadership, but there were signs against Lyon that he is beginning to decline. Pace has never been a strength for the former Chelsea man, but even some of his passing was uncharacteristically sloppy against the French outfit.
The Gunners cannot afford to be over-reliant upon Jorginho this season, nor can Arteta trust Thomas Partey to stay fit. As such, Arsenal need to get a deal for Mikel Merino agreed promptly, to add some freshness to their midfield contingent.
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