Mikel Arteta is set to have a massive headache with respect to his team selection at Arsenal next season. The Gunners boss has brought out the best in a number of players and all of them will be looking for a starting spot next term.
One such player is Emiliano Martinez. Many Arsenal fans felt that their season was over when Bernd Leno went down injured against Brighton. The German, thankfully, didn’t hurt himself too badly but the injury was enough to rule him out for the remainder of the campaign.
Martinez stepped in and almost instantly became a fan favourite. The Argentine pulled off a string of incredible saves in the games that he played, and he has now made it clear that he will not settle for a place on the bench any longer.
“I showed that I can play, I need to play more games next season. I want to establish myself at Arsenal and become first choice. If I don’t play, I’m going to move, I’m going to go where I play more,” Martinez told Radio Continental.
That is something Arteta and Arsenal fans didn’t want to hear. Martinez certainly deserves to play now after performing so well for the Gunners in the final few games of the season.
However, Bernd Leno’s performances before he got injured cannot be forgotten. The German saved Arsenal on multiple occasions when the Gunners were going through a rough patch under Unai Emery.
Leno has proved himself to be a reliable number one and Arteta’s decision to play him ahead of Martinez in the Europa League clash against Olympiakos, even when the Argentine was a regular in the competition, was a hint about who the Arsenal boss trusted more.
Arteta’s stance could well have changed now. Arsenal have two top-quality goalkeepers in their ranks, but neither of them will be happy to sit on the bench next season.
Arsenal fans took to social media to express their views after Martinez’s comments about his future. Here is how a few of them reacted on Twitter:
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