Arsenal were handed their first defeat of the season at Bournemouth, but it could have been a very different result.
William Saliba’s first-half red card meant that Arsenal were on the back foot for most of the game, but at 0-0, they had a big chance to take the lead.
Substitute Gabriel Martinelli came on for the disappointing Leandro Trossard, but the Brazilian could not continue his fine form which saw him score in his last two Premier League games.
Martinelli had a huge chance to take the lead after Mikel Merino played him in, following a mistake from Kepa Arrizabalaga. However, the winger fired straight at the goalkeeper, in a game-changing moment.
Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has now pointed out that such chances need to be taken if his old side are to win the title.
Theo Walcott calls for Gabriel Martinelli improvement after missed chance vs Bournemouth
Speaking on Sky Sports after the game, Walcott highlighted Martinelli’s finishing in crucial moments as an area for improvement.
“This is the side of Martinelli that we always feel he could improve, these opportunities which he practises endlessly,” he stated.
“For me, he gives the goalkeeper very clear where he is going to go straightaway. He opens his body too soon, the near post was the finish.
“Of course, it is a great save, but look, if Arsenal are to win the league, it’s a massive moment not just for Arsenal but for Martinelli himself.”
Arsenal cannot rely on individual moments every game
Whilst Martinelli’s miss was a game-changing moment, Arsenal cannot consistently rely on individual moments to win games.
Martinelli’s shot was Arsenal’s only attempt on target, and despite being reduced to 10 men, this is a much bigger problem than his miss in isolation.
Arsenal were clearly missing Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, but Arteta must find a solution to inject more creativity into his side, so they are not reliant on one big chance to win each individual game.
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