Wright ‘very surprised’ by Arteta selection in Arsenal win as Walcott questions Saka decision

Arsenal legend Ian Wright

Arsenal legend Ian Wright was “very surprised” by Mikel Arteta’s team selection for Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, while Theo Walcott questioned the Gunners manager’s substitutions.

Arteta’s side eased past Palace to take them to within two points of league leaders Liverpool, albeit having played a game more, with Gabriel Martinelli coming off the bench to score a stoppage time brace.

Quizzed about his decision to bench Martinelli after the game, Arteta revealed he wanted to give Trossard opportunity to impress.

“[Trossard] deserves it,’ Arteta said. “Obviously we need some energy and freshness in the frontline with that short turnaround. He has plenty of experience in this league.”

Wright, meanwhile, speaking to Premier League Productions after the game, said: “When you get someone like Gabriel Martinelli in that much space, the line was so high, I was very surprised he didn’t start.

“I’m quite pleased he came on and made the impact he did. [His first goal is] a very good finish. Very accurate. Brilliant, superb.

“[With the second goal] Palace are all over the place, the midfield is nowhere near it, look at how much space he has got. Can he finish? Yeah, he can.

“You’ve got to take advantage when teams are playing poorly like Palace were. You can really punish these teams.”

Martinelli has registered a total of four goals and two assists across 19 Premier League games for Arsenal so far this season.

“I think that is going to make him really good,’ said Arteta, who was delighted to see Martinelli rediscover his shooting boots.

“Sometimes when you are in that period, and he had a little issue in the last few days in training so he wasn’t fully, fully fit, that changes momentum, it changes perception, it re-energises you. It’s everything.

“We don’t have a 30, 40 goals on someone, we have to share them and that’s a good quality in the team.

“It was so important. We know our qualities. It doesn’t matter what people say on the outside, we believe in ourselves,’ said Martinelli, himself, after doubling his Premier League goals tally for the season.

“We showed that today and what we can do. We knew we needed a game like that where we had a clean sheet and scored five games.

“We will try our best and keep going like that because we know our expectation.”

Former Arsenal winger Walcott was more surprised by Arteta’s deicision not to take Bukayo Saka off.

“As a player now I look at the bigger picture and wonder why Bukayo Saka hasn’t been subbed off yet,” Walcott told the BBC in the 73rd minute of the game.

“The sort of player he is, the fact is that he gets kicked all over the pitch most games.

“Leandro Trossard has just come off, but Saka with all the games he plays is still out there.”

MAILBOX: Man Utd make ‘best post-Sir Alex appointment’ as Arsenal fans moan after 5-0 win