It's going to take a lot for Arsenal vindicate their treatment of Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli is no longer a Gunner, and many Arsenal fans grieve the absence of a player who has worked so hard. Martinelli's move to Al-Hilal is supposedly immanent, which leaves Mikel Arteta with a challenge for the current season.
The transfer window in England has closed, but the window for the Saudi Pro League does not close until September 6, hence why there has yet to be an official announcement from either side. Martinelli's departure marks Arsenal's biggest sale in history, a record £60m. However, the Gunners have failed to fill his position in this transfer window.
Martinelli was a key figure in Arsenal's title-winnings season. While the Brazilian may not have recorded as many goals or assists as was expected, he played a massive role in the team's squad depth, of which the club has lacked in recent years.
In addition to Martinelli's exit, Arsenal also sold Leandro Trossard to Turkish side Beşiktaş. The Gunners bought Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge in July. The Greek left winger has been a bright spot in Arsenal's early season, but there is much speculation regarding his reliability match after match. This, however, may be part of Arteta's master plan.
Arsenal's left wing problem may have a simple solution in Eberechi Eze. The midfielder subbed on for Tzolis in the second half of Arsenal's 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Monday, making an instant impact which led to Bukayo's tap-in finish. Eze's versatility makes him an ideal utility player who can move into different positions when needed. Noni Madueke has also been known to make appearances on the left wing, which could leave room for youngster Max Dowman to feature more prevalently on the right side.
In addition to availability to fill the gap on the left wing, Miles-Lewis Skelly, Hincapié, and Calafiori have done excellently in the attacking half, providing support for left wingers to cut in or push wide.
While the departure of Martinelli is a sad one for supporters and proves challenging for Arteta, the reality is that Arsenal's left side is just as, if not more, threatening. The Gunners play on Sunday, where they will face a reinvigorated Chelsea side.
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