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Arsenal’s 2-0 home defeat to West Ham United this week was a reminder that Mikel Arteta’s side is far from the complete package, despite winning 12 of their 19 matches in the Premier League this season.
The result keeps the Gunners in second place, two points behind Liverpool, and it is vital that they bounce back convincingly against Fulham.
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After Arsenal’s defeat to West Ham, Arteta could look to rotate his squad.
The Spaniard wants to make an attacking addition in January in an attempt to make his side even more dangerous.
Arsenal transfers latest – Federico Chiesa
According to a report from TuttoJuve earlier this week, many top Premier League clubs are interested in signing Federico Chiesa, with Arsenal among those watching the winger.
Juventus may be forced to sell the 26-year-old, but their priority is to hand the forward a new contract, as his current one expires in 2025.
A fee similar to what Newcastle paid for Sandro Tonali is set to be demanded by I bianconeri, which is roughly €80m (£69m).
How Chiesa compares to Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli and Chiesa are two of the most exciting forwards in Europe, but the former has been struggling for confidence this season, which has led to an underperformance from his excellent last campaign.
The Brazilian has only netted twice and registered two assists in 17 Premier League matches and has struggled to get back to form after an injury early in the season, which has sparked rumours about Arteta wanting to improve the left-wing spot. However, the boss has stuck by the 22-year-old despite him being ineffective at times.
That said, Chiesa has had his own injury issues since missing 269 days in 2022 due to a cruciate ligament tear. Despite this, the Juve winger has featured 15 times in Serie A this season, and he’s scored five goals and assisted once.
Nevertheless, how do Chiesa and Martinelli compare to each other based on stats from their respective leagues this season?
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Chiesa vs Martinelli 2023/24 stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90) |
Chiesa |
Martinelli |
|
Goals |
0.31 |
0.15 |
|
Assists |
0.23 |
0.15 |
|
Progressive carries |
4.64 |
5.76 |
|
Successful take-ons |
1.91 |
1.99 |
|
Shot-creating actions |
4.06 |
4.13 |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
Firstly, it is important to note that Chiesa has been playing out of position as a second striker due to Massimiliano Allegri preferring a 3-5-2 formation, which highlights that the Italian is versatile, whereas the Brazilian can arguably only play in one position. This fits Arteta’s transfer strategy, as recent signings Jurien Timber, Leandro Trossard, and Kai Havertz can all play multiple roles and are tactically flexible.
Both wingers are direct dribblers who are decisive and know what they are going to do before they get the ball. They can cut inside onto their stronger right foot or go to the byline, making them unpredictable and difficult to mark, with the ex-Fiorentina winger being described as a “wizard” by football media personality Roger Bennett. The duo are also excellent carriers of the ball, which can not only help the team get up the field, but can also be deadly on the counterattack.
The attackers clearly boast similar traits, but in truth, it is difficult to see Chiesa’s true attacking potential when he plays in a Juve side that prioritises defence over attack and has little control in the opposition’s final third like Arsenal do.
While perhaps the young Brazilian is merely going through a rough patch, as his 15-goal 2022/23 season underlines the fact that he is an extremely talented attacker, the addition of a genuine rival such as Chiesa could certainly have him fearing for his place.
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