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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has come under fire from fans for his handling of Gabriel Martinelli’s return.
Martinelli had his first start since knee surgery in the Carabao Cup against Manchester City and was a bright spark in the first half.
He provided the assistance to Alexandre Lacazette to level the scores only to suffer an injury just before the break.
Martinelli collided with Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen and required lengthy treatment for a shin injury.
He moved cautiously as he limped back onto the field and continued until halftime.
(Image: Getty Images)
Many expected to be eliminated at halftime, but he continued, only to pause for a few moments in the second half and limp.
He was eventually replaced by Nicolás Pepe, but Arsenal fans were furious with Arteta for failing to protect top prospect Martinelli by taking him out as a precaution at halftime.
They pointed to Arteta forcing Thomas Partey back against Tottenham when stopped with an injury and David Luiz playing with a head injury after his collision with Raúl Jiménez against the Lobos.
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: (Photo by Catherine Ivill / Getty Images))
One fan accused Martinelli’s Arteta handling of being a “lootable offense” and another added that “Arteta’s incompetence is staggering.”
Another said: “Arteta’s negligence in even letting Martinelli come back is evident,” while others felt it “shows how desperate he is” with the pressure on his job mounting.
Another fan wrote: “Arteta’s man’s handling is so bad, the way he handled David Luiz’s head injury that it doesn’t even surprise me that he got Martinelli even though his shin was bleeding and needed stitches , just to make the injury worse. “
(Image: Pool via REUTERS)
Another added: “Arteta’s hands are stained with blood. He destroyed Partey and now he’s done the same to Martinelli. He should be expelled for that alone. “
Speaking of Martinelli ahead of the game, Arteta said: “We’ll see. He has only played 45 minutes with the Under-23s and his first competitive match at the level was against Everton, approximately 25.
“Let’s see how he copes, but he’s full of passion and energy, you know him and I think he will bring something different to the squad.”
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