December 18th 2024.
Paul Scholes, a former Manchester United midfielder, shared his thoughts on Arsenal's performance in the Premier League. He believes that in order to win the title this season, Arsenal needs more from their midfielders. Speaking on The Overlap's latest Fan Debate, Scholes and fellow football pundit Jamie Carragher expressed their doubts over Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli, who they feel has not lived up to expectations under manager Mikel Arteta.
Martinelli, a promising young player, had a standout season in 2022/23, scoring 15 goals in all competitions. However, in the following season, he only managed to score eight goals and this season, he has only scored four times in 22 appearances. Carragher mentioned that while the team was still being built, Martinelli, along with Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, showed potential to become top players. However, Scholes feels that Martinelli's progress has stalled and he has not lived up to the expectations set for him.
When discussing Arsenal's performance this season, Scholes emphasized the need for goals from all areas of the team. He stated that while Odegaard's return to the team has made them better, the team still needs more output from their midfielders. He also mentioned that the team lacked a strong center-forward, something that many felt was needed during the pre-season. Scholes believes that Declan Rice, a midfielder for West Ham, could potentially provide the much-needed goals for Arsenal, but he has not seen him do so yet.
Scholes also discussed the importance of every player contributing to a team's success, especially in the Premier League. He feels that too often, midfielders focus solely on controlling the game and helping defensively, rather than trying to affect the game and take responsibility for winning. In Scholes' opinion, to win a league title, every player must contribute, and he does not see that happening for Arsenal at the moment. He believes that aside from Saka, Havertz, and Odegaard, other players need to step up and contribute goals in order for Arsenal to have a chance at winning the title.
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