Arteta under fire for brutal Arsenal transfer decision: 'Uncomfortable and sad'

Arteta under fire for brutal Arsenal transfer decision: 'Uncomfortable and sad' Make us your Google favourite Arsenal got off to the best possible start to the new Premier League season on Friday, but one of Mikel Arteta's decisions has drawn major criticism. Following a comprehensive beatdown of Man City in the Community Shield, the Gunners continued their early-season hot streak with a comfortable 3-0 victory over newly promoted Coventry on opening day. Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard got on the scoresheet, but it was new signing Christos Tzolis who really stole the show - once again. The Greek winger had already starred for Arsenal in pre-season, and he continued his impressive form against Coventry. Tzolis caused the broadcaster Blues' defence all kinds of trouble with his directness and relentlessness. He offered Arsenal something they were sorely lacking last season: an unpredictable attacking outlet that drives at the opposition's defence and destabilises it. It remains to be seen if Tzolis can maintain his performance levels against better opponents, but the early signs suggest that the 24-year-old was an absolute steal at €40 million. Arteta criticised for conspicuous absence Tzolis joined Arsenal as the like-for-like replacement for Leandro Trossard, and he seems to have firmly established himself as Arteta's first-choice option on the left wing. He is keeping Gabriel Martinelli out of the team and, you could argue, he is making Arsenal fans forget about the Brazilian. The 25-year-old did not feature at all in the Gunners' opening two games. In fact, he didn't even make the squad. Clearly, this is transfer-related. Arsenal are open to offers for Martinelli this summer, and they received a formal €45m bid from Galatasaray a couple of weeks ago. However, the player made it clear that he has no intention of moving to Turkey this summer. There hasn't been any concrete movement regarding a potential transfer since, and Arsenal's stance has been that they won't sell unless they have a replacement lined up - which they don't right now - so his exile has raised eyebrows. In fact, Arsenal legend Ian Wright has broken ranks and harshly criticised the club and Arteta for this bizarre treatment of a long-serving and popular player, saying that it makes him "uncomfortable" and "sad." "In respects to Martinelli and the way Martinelli has been treated at the moment, it really makes me feel uncomfortable," Wright explained on media. "Because he always gives 100%. "I’m not saying he’s the greatest, [but] he’s really come up with some big moments for Arsenal, some big games, he’s scored some very important goals. "The way he’s been treated at the end here, I know they might want him out, and there’s a lot of people saying, 'Yeah, maybe it’s time for him to move on,' but there’s ways of doing that, and it should suit him as well, how he wants to leave. "Not being in the squad, not being spoken to, doesn’t know what’s going on. Yes, I do know this, again, not being involved in the Community Shield squad, he doesn’t know what’s happening. I think he’s got a year left [on his contract]. "If you bring [Vinicius Junior] - that kind of level - in, Martinelli can say to himself, 'Well, okay, they’ve brought him and Tzolis, I might be third [choice].' But if you’re bringing Tzolis in, and he’s looking at Tzolis, you look at [Noni] Madueke on the other [wing], you’re thinking to yourself, 'I think I can still have it with these two, I still think I’ve got something to offer here.' "For him to be nowhere near it, it makes me feel sad for him. I’m just saying I think he’s done enough with this team, with this squad, to be treated with a little bit more respect than he’s being treated at the moment."