Jesus & Martinelli to lead the attack? How Arsenal could line up against Palace
FT Desk
- 1 Aug 2022 13:15 CDT
- 3 min read
Arsenal are in the highest of spirits going into the new Premier League season.
Mikel Arteta's men enjoyed a near-flawless pre-season, winning six of their seven friendly outings over the past month.
A 2-1 reverse to Brentford at the Gunners' London Colney training ground was the only blemish in the build-up to 2022-23, meaning that confidence should be high when they take on Crystal Palace on Friday.
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Perhaps most encouraging of all is the way that the club's new arrivals have settled into life in north London; particularly Gabriel Jesus, who has helped himself to seven goals in pre-season since agreeing a move from Manchester City.
Jesus looks set to play a key role for Arsenal in the coming term, but much will depend on how Arteta chooses to deploy his striking star.
The Brazilian could either lead the line as a solitary forward, as he tended to at City, or else form part of a duo up front.
If Arteta opts for the latter compatriot Gabriel Martinelli would be the obvious choice to partner him, creating potentially one of the most exciting duos in the entire Premier League.
In the one-striker set-up, meanwhile, Martinelli would take up a position on the left opposite Bukayo Saka, with Martin Odegaard slotting in just behind Jesus to provide the link between midfield and attack.
The decision would also have implications on how Arsenal line up further back up the field.
If Jesus plays as a solitary striker Arteta is more likely to base his team on a four-man defence, with Kieran Tierney and Cedric Soares playing outside central duo Gabriel and Ben White.
The second option would be to field Tierney, Gabriel and White in a back three, while Oleksandr Zinchenko and Saka providing the width in a 3-5-2 formation.
Read more about: Premier League, Arsenal
