The Premier League is finally back again, and unlike their North London neighbours, Arsenal kickstarted their campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Mikel Arteta's side didn't blow Wolves aside at the Emirates, but they looked reasonably comfortable throughout the 90 minutes, and there were several stand-out performers, including Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz.
Unfortunately, not everyone was quite as effective in the game, with Gabriel Martinelli struggling to make a significant impact on the left.
The Brazilian is under a lot of pressure to prove his worth this year after having a lacklustre campaign last season, but based on recent reports, the club may have already identified his replacement.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are one of several teams interested in signing Atalanta ace Ademola Lookman this summer.
Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Liverpool and Manchester City have been 'kept informed' about the player's situation in Italy, but as things stand, it is French champions Paris Saint-Germain who are pushing hardest to land the attacker's signature.
According to reports from earlier this summer, Atalanta value the Nigerian international at a whopping €60m, which converts to about £51m, so if the Gunners were to press on with their interest, they'd have to stump up a sizeable fee.
In all, it could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Lookman's form last season and positional versatility, it is one well worth fighting for, especially if Martinelli continues to struggle.
How Lookman compares to Martinelli
Okay, so the first thing to say is that thanks to his impressive ability to play anywhere in attack, be that on the wings, down the middle or even as a second striker, Lookman would provide Arteta with so many options in attack, but in terms of a regular position, he'd likely play on the left.
This is because it seems incredibly unlikely that any player would displace Saka on the right, and Havertz is the manager's preferred number nine at the moment, meaning that Martinelli would be in for a fight to keep his place in the lineup, so how do they stack up against one another?
Well, from a pure output perspective, it's not even a competition, as in 45 appearances last season, the former Everton ace scored 17 goals and provided ten assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.66 games.
In contrast, the Gunners' number 11 could only muster eight goals and five assists in 44 appearances, which equates to a disappointing average of a goal involvement every 3.38 games.
Okay, so how about their underlying numbers? Is it just as one-sided in favour of the Atalanta ace when we look under the hood?
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.68
0.58
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists
0.86
0.45
Progressive Carries
3.43
5.67
Progressive Passes
4.62
2.90
Shots
3.18
2.59
Shots on Target
1.14
0.89
Passing Accuracy
75.8%
77.9%
Key Passes
2.38
2.05
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.52
1.47
Shot-Creating Actions
4.81
4.10
Goal-Creating Actions
0.67
0.49
Successful Take-Ons
1.86
1.79
Aerial Duels Won
0.86
0.67
Unfortunately for the former Ituano gem, it is indeed.
For example, in practically every relevant metric, Atalanta's "unbelievable" attacker, as dubbed by former Arsenal player Sead Kolasinac, comes out on top, including but not limited to non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, key passes, passes into the penalty area, shots and shots on target, shot and goal creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
He even comes out ahead for aerial duels won per 90, suggesting he could help the Gunners become even more effective in the air.
Ultimately, while Matinelli is an undeniably talented player and one loved by the fans, he is outmatched by Lookman in both raw output and their underlying numbers, so if Edu Gaspar and Co have a chance to sign him this summer, they should take it.
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