Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli suffers double whammy: Goal denied by VAR, forced off due to injury vs Everton

During Arsenal's match against Everton, GABRIEL MARTINELLI suffered an injury and had to leave the field.

September 17, 2023

The Arsenal winger experienced a rollercoaster day, going from joy to disappointment when he thought he’d scored in the 21st minute, only to have the goal ruled out due to a contentious offside call involving Eddie Nketiah.

Despite Martinelli appearing slightly ahead of Everton’s defensive line, the goal was disallowed because of Nketiah’s role. He had skillfully capitalized on a pass from Fabio Vieira, curling the ball confidently past Pickford.

Unfortunately, Martinelli seemed to have strained a muscle during his celebration, prompting his substitution for Leandro Trossard and raising concerns about his fitness for the upcoming Tottenham derby.

Before that crucial fixture, Arsenal will kick off their Champions League campaign by hosting PSV on Wednesday, marking their return to the competition after a seven-year absence.

The surprising omission of Aaron Ramsdale from the starting lineup suggests he’s likely to start against PSV as Arteta wants to further assess Raya, who arrived on a £3 million loan with a £27 million purchase option. Arteta has been impressed by Raya’s ball-playing skills in training and plans to test him in several matches before naming him the top goalkeeper.

Another dilemma for Arteta ahead of the North London Derby is whether to start Fabio Vieira or Kai Havertz, with Havertz previously dropped but having featured in the last four Premier League games.