One of the key features of Arsenal’s impressive end-of-season form as they challenged for the Premier League title was the impact made by Leandro Trossard.

Since joining the Gunners in January 2023, Trossard had to bide his time and be patient for a sustained opportunity to thrive in the starting lineup.

However, the Belgian’s form proved to be too good for Mikel Arteta to ignore, with Trossard scoring 12 Premier League goals this season, five of which came in his last eight games of the campaign as Arsenal narrowly missed out on the title to Manchester City.

The player who suffered from Trossard’s rise in prominence was Gabriel Martinelli, who scored just six goals in the league this season.

That was a significantly worse return than the previous campaign, when Martinelli netted 15 times and along with fellow winger Bukayo Saka frequently tormented opponents.

It will be interesting to see what occurs next season and whether Trossard will be able to retain his place in the team ahead of what is likely to be a resurgent Martinelli.

The reasons behind Gabriel Martinelli’s struggles

Martinelli certainly needs to improve in some aspects of his game, especially with regards to his decisiveness in the final third, but it is important to remember that he is still only 22 years old and has much time on his side to progress even further.

Against Everton, in the absence of Saka, Martinelli started on the right wing and in the main gave a good account of himself, which included making one very dangerous run.

It can be argued that Martinelli’s difficulties have coincided with his compatriot Gabriel Jesus also losing his place as a regular starter.

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During the 2022-23 campaign, Martinelli and Jesus often combined to excellent effect, with the latter’s unpredictable movement frequently creating space for Martinelli to run into.

With Kai Havertz now mainly deployed up front, Arsenal are playing in a slightly different way and it perhaps doesn’t suit Martinelli’s game as much.

What does Martinelli offer that Leandro Trossard doesn’t?

However, Martinelli still has much to offer Arsenal both next season and in the longer term. With his pace and directness, the winger is capable of tormenting opponents. If Arsenal were to sign a new striker then it could be hugely beneficial for Martinelli and may allow to him to make good use of his key attributes.

Martinelli does need to be a little more decisive at times with regards to his finishing but his all-round game is of a high standard and he also contributes defensively, which is much to Arteta’s liking.

Trossard, who was signed for around £27m including add-ons, can still be of use to Arteta, especially during challenging moments of the season and when the Gunners are in the midst of a hectic schedule.

However, the expectation is that Martinelli will be determined to win his place back next season and, given the quality that he possesses, he should be able to achieve that objective.