Ian Wright Identifies Identical Arsenal Mistake Against Aston Villa and Bayern Munich

Arsenal legend Ian Wright didn't mince words in his assessment of winger Gabriel Martinelli's performance in Arsenal's recent 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa. Wright accused Martinelli of "switching off" after being unexpectedly benched for the match.

With Liverpool losing earlier in the day to Crystal Palace, Arsenal had a golden opportunity to gain ground on their title rivals. However, the loss now sees Manchester City leading the title race by a slim two-point margin over both Arsenal and Liverpool.

Despite controlling much of the first half, Arsenal ended up on the wrong side of the result due to late goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins. This defeat marked only the second time Arsenal had lost at the Emirates Stadium in the league this season. The decision to start Leandro Trossard instead of Martinelli raised eyebrows among fans.

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Martinelli faced criticism, particularly for what many saw as a momentary lapse in concentration that led to Villa's opening goal. Wright, among others, highlighted Martinelli's defensive lapse, which allowed Bailey to sneak in and score from near the back post.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright attributed Martinelli's defensive lapse to him "switching off" during the match. Speaking to Premier League Productions, Wright pointed out that Arsenal had been defensively solid throughout the season, but Martinelli's momentary lapse in concentration allowed Villa to capitalize on an opportunity.

"Bailey is his man, that's his man in this situation. He has to get closer to him, it's as simple as that. Arsenal gave Villa too many opportunities late on and they took them.

"Martinelli switches off at the back post. He realised too late. That's the difference. The margins are so small and the same thing happened against Bayern, a couple of lapses in concentration and they were punished."

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