Mikel Arteta can repeat Arsene Wenger masterstroke at Arsenal with 'unbelievable' player
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(Credit: Imago)
Ciaran Morrison
Wed 24 September 2025 7:15, UK
Mikel Arteta may be able to restore the fortunes of an Arsenal star by learning off Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Man City leaves the Gunners second in the Premier League table as they chase their first Premier League title in over 20 years.
Arteta’s side have come second over the past three seasons in the Premier League, and have been unable to win a major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup.
Arsenal signed eight new players over the summer, increasing Arteta’s squad depth and the Spaniard needs to work out a way of the getting the best out of every player for their title charge.
Mikel Arteta may learn off Arsene Wenger to get the best out of an Arsenal star.
(Credit Imago)
Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench against Man City to net a 93rd-minute equaliser after Arteta decided against starting Eberechi Eze.
Eze’s creative qualities made Martinelli’s goal with a perfectly weighted pass over the top of the Man City defence for the Brazilian to run onto before striking the ball over Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Post-Man City, Arteta called Martinelli’s impact from the bench “unbelievable,” as per The Standard, [23 September].
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It came just five days after Martinelli replaced Eze to score within 36 seconds at Athletic Bilbao off the bench in the Champions League.
With competition for places from Leandro Trossard and Eze down the left flank, Martinelli is proving himself to be a super sub for Arteta.
Credit: Getty Images
At the start of this campaign, Martinelli has been mainly utilised from the bench, and that is something Arsene Wenger was known for.
The former Gunners boss had the likes of Olivier Giroud and Nwankwo Kanu as frequent impact substitutes, which Martinelli may now become.
As per statmuse, Giroud and Kanu both rank in the top five for goals scored off the bench with 21 and 17 goals in their Premier League careers.
Jermain Defoe24Olivier Giroud21Javier Hernandez19Daniel Sturridge17Nwankwo Kanu17Top five goal scorers off the bench in Premier League history, as per statmuse.
Giroud had netted 10 off the bench for Arsenal in the Premier League by November 2016, as per The Daily Mail.
The move to bring the Brazilian off the bench is smart by Arteta as his pace is causing tired defences problems.
Under Arteta, players like Trossard have proven to make an impact off the bench, and Martinelli may also be suited to that role.
Martinelli’s goal scoring form has dipped in recent seasons, with Arteta requiring greater productivity from the 24-year-old in his team.
However, Arteta may now have found the perfect role for Martinelli which could change his fortunes at the club after being linked away during the summer transfer window.