“He will move over Gabriel Martinelli and that’s the only way we can beat Liverpool this evening”- Arsenal Legend Ian Wright hints Mikel Arteta to drop Martinelli and unleash Arsenal’s £90k-p/w ‘wizard’ against Liverpool today if they really want to take their FULL 3 points

As Arsenal strives to maintain their recent resurgence after overcoming a festive period slump, Mikel Arteta faces a pivotal decision ahead of the clash against Liverpool at the Emirates. Despite back-to-back wins over Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, Arteta must carefully consider his starting XI to ensure a strong performance against the formidable Reds.

While Gabriel Martinelli has displayed glimpses of brilliance in limited playing time this season, his recent impact has been less than stellar. The match against Forest saw him receive a lukewarm rating of 6/10, according to GOAL’s Charlie Watts. With only four goals and two assists in 1399 minutes of league football, Martinelli’s contributions fall short of the expectations for a key attacking player in a potential title-winning campaign.

In contrast, Leandro Trossard emerges as a compelling option to fill the starting role. Despite playing fewer minutes than Martinelli, Trossard boasts four goals and an assist in 741 league minutes this season. The Belgian winger, hailed as a “wizard” by journalist Charlie Haffenden, was a revelation in the previous campaign, providing ten assists and scoring once in ten league starts.

Trossard’s proven ability to impact crucial matches is underscored by his impressive record against Liverpool. Having scored five goals in ten meetings, he outshines both Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus in terms of goal-scoring efficiency against the Reds. This, coupled with his recent performance, marked by a superb goal against Crystal Palace, positions Trossard as a player in a richer vein of form.

As Arteta contemplates his lineup for the pivotal encounter with Jurgen Klopp’s side, the evidence suggests that Trossard, with his consistent contributions and historical success against Liverpool, should be unleashed from the start. The stakes are high, and starting a player in peak form may be the key to navigating this challenging fixture and maintaining Arsenal’s pursuit of the title.