In The Overlap soccer feature, Manchester United legend Scholes and English star Carragher have a hot debate about Arsenal's tactical layout on the wing. In particular, Scholes questions the performance of Arsenal's wing speedster Martinelli this season, suggesting that his standards have slipped.
Carragher opened with the question, "Do you think Arsenal are in dire need of a center forward or another top striker?" He recalled how three years ago, when Arsenal's youthful line-up was in its infancy, Odego, Saka and Martinelli were all seen as stars of the future and expected to grow into top-flight players. However, to this day, Saka and Ödgö have proved their mettle, but Martinelli's path to growth has been confusing.
Scholes agrees, and is outspoken about how Martinelli's game seems to have slipped. He recalled, "A year and a half ago, watching him play, you couldn't help but marvel, 'Wow, what an outstanding player!' However, now he seems to have stagnated. Still, he's young and has unlimited possibilities for the future."
The two then went on to discuss Arsenal's strategy in bringing in a striker. Carragher revealed that during pre-season, they had discussed that Arsenal should bring in a center forward to boost their attacking power, but the coaching team did not seem to have made a move in this position.
As of now, Martinelli has made 22 appearances for Arsenal, contributing 4 goals and 2 assists. While these numbers may seem good, his performance is clearly not good enough compared to the high expectations of fans and pundits alike. Scholes' questioning also reflects the fans' concern about Martinelli's future development, and at the same time pushes the issue of Arsenal's striker reinforcement to the forefront of public opinion once again.
As the season progresses, whether Arsenal can make adjustments in the forward line and whether Martinelli can regain his former style will be the focus of fans' attention.
