‘Headless rooster’ Arsenal star warned he isn’t utilizing ‘presents that God gave him’
Arsenal slipped to a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg on Tuesday night as they struggled to cope without the injured Bukayo Saka
Theo Walcott’s prediction came true as Arsenal sorely missed Bukayo Saka in their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg loss to Newcastle.
The Magpies secured a 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium, giving them a significant advantage ahead of the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Alexander Isak maintained his excellent form by seizing on a loose ball from a long free-kick before Anthony Gordon capitalised on a rebound to double their lead.
Gabriel Martinelli hit the outside of the post in the first half when one-on-one with Martin Dubravka and Kai Havertz sent a free header wide of the post from close range as Arsenal fell short.
They will travel to St James’ Park for the second leg on February 5 with a mountain to climb if they are to make it to the Wembley final.
Saka has netted nine goals and provided 13 assists in 24 games this season but is out with a hamstring injury, leaving the attacking responsibility to Martinelli, Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard on Tuesday night.
Martinelli found the back of the net in the 3-1 victory at Brentford last week but lacked quality in his performance against Newcastle. He was deployed on the left by Mikel Arteta, who chose Trossard on the right, and the Arsenal boss was left disappointed.
His miss when clean through in the first half was a pivotal moment for Arsenal, who repeatedly saw their crosses into the box cleared by Newcastle’s solid defence.
Former Arsenal star Theo Walcott didn’t mince his words on Sky Sports before the match, slamming Gabriel Martinelli’s playing style: “I’ve said this because he’s a player that at times can be a bit like a headless chicken, I do feel like.
“I was sometimes head down. Use your strengths, which is his pace,” he critiqued.
“When you’re one-on-one, I get sick to death when players give it back to the full-back and expect him to do something. I’m like ‘You’re a forward player, you do that job, you do the gifts that god gave you that got you to become a professional footballer’.”
Despite a late surge, Martinelli couldn’t make a dent in the opposition’s defence, ending the game without hitting the target from three shots and not managing a single dribble.
