Miguel Azeez was on the scoresheet for Arsenal on Wednesday.
The Gunners thrashed Watford 4-1 in a behind-closed-doors friendly at London Colney.
It was a fine finish from the academy midfielder, curling into the far corner from the edge of the box to complete the scoring for Arsenal.
But some eagle-eyed fans of the North London club have spotted something interesting about Azeez on the day.
The 18-year-old was wearing the club’s number 35 shirt – the same number that Gabriel Martinelli has worn throughout his two-year spell at the Emirates Stadium.
Here’s how some supporters reacted to that development:
Unthinkable
You would think it’s unthinkable for Mikel Arteta to loan or sell Martinelli.
But it’s worth remembering that the Spanish coach doesn’t seem to rate the 20-year-old Brazilian as highly as Arsenal fans do.
Martinelli managed only 588 minutes of Premier League football last season, the equivalent of just 6.5 full matches.
That right there is evidence that Arteta believes he isn’t the finished product and it remains to be seen what the long-term plan for Martinelli is.
In all probability, the Azeez thing signifies a change of squad number for Martinelli if anything.
Then again, Arteta has already loaned out Matteo Guendouzi and William Saliba this summer. The former Manchester City assistant isn’t shy in disposing of players that he doesn’t intend to use, regardless of how unpopular the decision is among Arsenal fans.
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