Martin Keown: Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli is too good for the bench
Martin Keown wants to see more of Gabriel Martinelli in an Arsenal shirt this season
Martin Keown has urged Mikel Arteta to give Gabriel Martinelli more of a chance in the Arsenal team between now and the end of the season.
The Brazilian attacker has struggled to hold down a regular spot in the first team at The Emirates despite having returned from injury earlier in the campaign.
The 19-year-old has only started three games in the Premier League all season and he has only made 11 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions so far this term.
Martinelli came on as a second-half substitute during Liverpool FC’s 3-0 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday night at The Emirates.
Former Arsenal star Keown believes that Martinelli deserves more of a chance to impress in the first team in the coming weeks and months and he is urging Arteta to give him more playing time.
Writing in his column for the Daily Mail, Keown said: “Arteta has a big decision to make on his captain.
“He set an example by dropping [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang for the north London derby recently. Aubameyang was supposed to start against Spurs but turned up late and was pulled.
“Should Arteta not be dropping him for performing as poorly as he did against Liverpool? If he sticks with him, he risks losing the respect of the group.
“It’s time to bring in 19-year-old Gabriel Martinelli. He is too good to be sitting on the bench.”
Arsenal will look to return back to winning ways on Thursday night when they take on Slavia Prague in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie.
The Gunners will then travel to Sheffield United in the Premier League on Sunday night.
