It was a welcome shift for Gabriel Martinelli, and a snapshot of how Arsenal have changed for the better this season.
Facing Athletic Bilbao full back Andoni Gorosabel, Martinelli was met with a choice — going backwards, as he has too often, or going for it. He chose the latter, burst forwards to the byline and cut the ball back for Leandro Trossard to make it 2-0.
On too many occasions last season, Martinelli would have cautiously recycled the ball after being confronted by the defender. Perhaps he was buoyed by the confidence of having put Arsenal ahead that night in Bilbao, just 36 seconds after coming off the bench. Or perhaps it was a response to the warning shot being sent out by the men starting ahead of him this season.
The arrivals of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze have added a new dimension to Arsenal’s attacking threat, with those wingers much happier to take their defenders on and get to the byline.
In the current Gunners system, it seems passivity means falling down the pecking order. Now, Martinelli must embody the urgency and attacking aggression that’s expected of Arsenal’s wide men.
For the Gunners’ second goal against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Eze, running through the left channel, received Riccardo Calafiori’s ball over the top and let it bounce before crossing the ball low, first time, for Viktor Gyokeres to strike home.
Gabriel Martinelli drove at Athletic Bilbao full back Andoni Gorosabel on Tuesday night and produced an assist for Leandro Trossard
Noni Madueke has brought a much-needed directness to the Arsenal attack this season
And fellow new boy Eberechi Eze has also been showing off his dribbling skills
Earlier in the match, Madueke effortlessly rounded Dan Ndoye, driving hard to the byline and running to the near post before his dragback to Jurrien Timber was desperately cleared by Forest.
Arsenal are dribbling forward more than last season: they averaged 18.3 dribbles per game across all competitions in the previous campaign, which has already jumped to 19.8.
In the Premier League last season, Martinelli attempted 100 dribbles — more than any other Arsenal player — with a success rate of 33 per cent, which put him far below the most prolific dribblers in the top flight.
West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus (195 attempted dribbles, 47.2 per cent success) and Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku (177 attempted dribbles, 60.5 per cent success) ranked the highest. Madueke is on track to blitz Martinelli’s numbers — if he continues his current trajectory, he will attempt 124 take-ons at a 53.9 per cent success rate.
It all points to a team trying to be more direct and the different playing styles of Madueke and Eze. It gives Arsenal options. Arsenal have long relied on Bukayo Saka, and to a lesser extent Martin Odegaard, for attacking magic and to break down low blocks. But Arteta now has a plethora of options at his disposal.
Insiders have told Daily Mail Sport that Arsenal are looking to be more unpredictable with their frontline this season. Too often last year they stumbled to draws, unable to get that winning goal. Madueke and Martinelli can play on either flank, Eze has the ability to play in different positions, while Trossard adds a different element off the bench. It is understood that these players will rotate more across positions throughout the season so opponents face a struggle to prepare.
A more direct style also suits a more traditional No 9 in Gyokeres, who is attacking the box waiting for that ball across the six-yard line like against Forest, and not coming short to link play.
In the first half on Tuesday, Arteta shouted at Eze to move wider rather than cutting in. Touch maps (below) show how Eze moved to a wider position in the second half, hugging the touchline more and allowing the midfield three of Mikel Merino, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi more space to operate in.
Eze drifted infield at times during the first half in Bilbao, but he hugged the left touchline in the second at Arteta’s instruction
Eze staying wide paid off for Arsenal’s second goal against Nottingham Forest last week, latching on to Riccardo Calafiori’s long ball and squaring for Viktor Gyokeres to score
Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard had been relied upon to dig Arsenal out of a hole in the creative department – but at last they have some help
Eze could eventually become one of the three midfielders but when he’s a wide man, Arteta clearly wants him to stay wide. The England man was initially looked at this summer with the No 10 role in mind, as there was uncertainty over whether Ethan Nwaneri would sign a new contract. After the 18-year-old agreed terms, interest in Eze died down, but when Kai Havertz went down injured and Arsenal needed more attacking options, it was revived.
Eze has operated solely from wide left since his emotional return to his boyhood club, but Arsenal sources have told Daily Mail Sport that he is still in Arteta’s thoughts as a No 10 option. He has the dynamism to take on players and play killer passes, and if Odegaard has not returned from his shoulder injury to face Manchester City on Sunday, Eze could well be the key to unlocking Pep Guardiola’s defence.
And Arteta has form for getting more out of a player through a positional switch. Look at Havertz and Merino: both were signed to play as ‘left eights’ but became surprisingly prolific strikers in the second half of their debut seasons.
So Eze’s position is not yet fixed — though Arsenal’s attacking approach out wide definitely is. As Martinelli has discovered, directness and fearlessness are non-negotiables for Arteta’s wingers — otherwise, a place on the bench awaits.
