Arsenal star sends clear warning to Real Madrid and it is not Bukayo Saka despite perfect return

After more than two weeks without football I was genuinely desperate for it to return and then after 20 minutes I wished it never did. I have become convinced of an evil curse which has fallen upon this current Arsenal season.

The win over Fulham did indeed contain the magic that it promised in the build-up but sadly it also came at a cost. The victory moved Arsenal to within nine points of Liverpool, but it is widely agreed upon that the Gunners’ hopes of a title have already dissipated.

Equally so, it seems impossible that no matter the match, the press conference or even casual discussion that exists around the club, it will inevitably come back to the impending European clash with Real Madrid. This game was, despite Fulham’s involvement, all about Los Blancos for so many good and horrible reasons.

The return of the king

If you could write a dream way for Bukayo Saka to return to action with arsenal of course it would be scoring a goal but it was so much grander than that. From the standing ovation he received as he simply warmed up on the touchline to the roar of the crowd when he emerged with his kit on ready to enter the fray, it was like the perfect title sequence for what was to come.

His goal for me is all about what could have been. How might Arsenal’s season have been different if they had Saka available for the entirety of the season or even just an extra two months of the campaign?

Points dropped against sides like West Ham, Aston Villa and Manchester United might instead have been turned into victories and the gap to Liverpool while likely not zero or even overturned, certainly would have been much closer making the run-in have a greater meaning.

The positive that overwhelms everything though is the knowledge Saka should be in a position to start against Real Madrid when they arrive next week. Fran Garcia has been deputising for the injured Ferland Mendy who is himself fighting to be back in time.

Having watched Eduardo Camavinga start in the 4-4 Copa del Rey draw with Real Sociedad on the same night as Saka made his return, the England international will surely fancy himself in a one-on-one with either full-back. Alongside him and returning to the left was Gabriel Martinelli who looked like a new man.

Mikel Arteta took the time to praise him individually after the match and combining both with this unorthodox use of Mikel Merino who now has five goals in eight games as a centre-forward is definitely a reason to look to the trip to Everton as further opportunity to see Saka flourish. Unless of course the decision is taken to protect him from potentially being kicked into oblivion by David Moyes’ side.

A fall of a titan

Had you given me a list of all the current available Arsenal players and asked me to rank them with the number one on the list being the player who I would most want to not suffer an injury and miss the next few weeks it would have been Gabriel. I would argue there is no other player quite as important to the side and equally consistent this season in their performances.

When he went to the ground, the manner of his fall and realisation of his injury was obvious to all what had happened. News that Gabriel had returned early from international duty due to a suspension was a joy to experience but apparently we were aware of the butterfly effect that would ensue following that premature trip back across the Atlantic Ocean.

In his stead came Jakub Kiwior who had a… well an entirely predictable performance. The Polish international has never been able to convince supporters that he will be a success at the club.

He is capable of some very impressive feats and has been picked over other options in massive matches such as the trip to the Etihad Stadium in the title run-in with the title still in the Gunners’ hands. But it seems since failure to pass the test against Leroy Sane at the same stage of the Champions League last season with Bayern Munich something has changed.

In one moment, he produced a great recovery run and tackle on Adama Traore. In another, he got the ball and then immediately surrendered it to the Spaniard and gave up a shooting opportunity that could have been costly.

The hope will be that Ben White can indeed recover from this ongoing issue to provide some respite to the side. However, Arteta confirmed after his press conference that it is indeed his knee that again forced him to miss the match with Fulham leaving nothing but fear to remain ahead of facing Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe among others.

Signed, sealed and delivered

I know I mentioned Gabriel Martinelli in the section regarding Saka but that is not going to stop me waxing lyrically for a few more paragraphs on one of his best performances in an Arsenal shirt. We know that you do not necessarily need to score or assist to have a great game and while his set up for Saka was beautifully crafted it was his overall game which had me excited.

So often it has been his final ball, final product, final decision-making action which has let Martinelli down, particularly as a left-winger. But tonight was a showing from the tenacious Brazilian that I have longed to see.

Beating his man on several occasions and trying to pick out the right pass or cross at the end of it. Arteta was right, Arsenal have missed his energy and speed in the time he has been absent.

But even when he was present, I felt on Tuesday night we witnessed a different Martinelli. A Martinelli who had the knowledge that if he does not perform with Saka back then Leandro Trossard will take away the chance for him to start against Real Madrid and his rival for the iconic yellow of his national side: Vinicius Jr.

There were stories that claimed Neymar had shown surprise at Martinelli’s inclusion in the initial list of called-up players before he was eventually cut before the March fixtures took place. Whether or not this was true should not matter if Martinelli can take speculation like this and funnel it into displays like we saw against Fulham.

If he performs like that, whichever unorthodox right-back selection Carlo Ancelotti is expected to be forced into choosing next week is in for a rough ride. Overall, despite the glaring sucker punch of his compatriot’s injury, the attacking transformation with these options in the side is enough to keep my expression on the right side of a smile.