Ian Wright points finger at 'desperate' Arsenal star after Declan Rice incident
Arsenal legend Ian Wright took issue with a passage of play from Gabriel Martinelli that could have added to the team's goal tally against Wolves - with the Brazilian opting to go for glory
Ian Wright has taken aim at Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli for his "desperate" attempt to score against Wolves from a tight angle - rather than passing to team-mate Declan Rice.
The Gunners beat Wolves 2-0 in the 2024-25 season opener at the Emirates on Saturday, with goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka enough to brush Gary O'Neil's men aside, in what was the perfect way to kick off their Premier League title bid.
But Arsenal legend Wright still took issue with a passage of play from Martinelli that could have added to the team's goal tally - after the Brazilian went for personal heroics rather than set up Rice, who was in a better position.
Mikel Arteta's men were already 1-0 up at the time thanks to Havertz's first half strike when Martinelli found himself through on goal down the flank - opting to shoot and passing up a potential chance to set up midfielder Rice.
Wright - who played 288 times for Arsenal between 1991 and 1998 - said he was disappointed by Martinelli's decision making and added that if he did pass to Rice it likely would have led to another goal before half time.
"This one here is a bit disappointing for me because he [Martinelli] has got the opportunity to cut back to Declan Rice," Wright told Premier League Productions.
"Just lay that into Declan, go 2-0 up and go in at half-time. I know that he’s desperate to do well because he has got Trossard on the bench. He had a poor season last year, Martinelli.
"But he’s trying to impress upon the manager, but give that back to Declan Rice, 2-0, and then you probably get your goal in the second half."
Martinelli played the full 90 minutes of the game, and while his decision may have stopped Arsenal from going 2-0 up, they did get their second goal after half time as Saka rifled an effort home in the 74th minute, having set up Havertz's opener in the first half.
Arteta claimed Arsenal won in a "different" way - insisting the team will have "better or worse days", but was pleased with their attacking display overall, saying: "The first half we were really good, really aggressive, really intense, with a lot of purpose to attack," he said. "Probably we should have scored two or three and the game would have been different.
"In the second half we were sloppy in moments and didn’t control some giveaways inside, which against this team in particular can be difficult. Then the game was a bit more open. Then Bukayo had an unbelievable action to score for 2-0 and it was a different game. Today we won in a convincing way, but probably in a different way because it’s what the game requires."
The Gunners next face a tough trip to Aston Villa before facing Brighton at home - and then they'll prepare for a huge North London Derby against Tottenham after the international break.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
