Martin Odegaard revival hopes surge as Mikel Arteta finds last-ditch Arsenal solution

Under normal circumstances, being forced to field your fifth-choice striker would be a real headache. But in this instance, it could provide boss with the solution he needs to get skipper firing on all cylinders again.

The Gunners are down to the bare bones up front, with and both injured, Mikel Merino suspended, and Leandro Trossard a doubt for this weekend's clash against . If the second half of Sunday's 2-2 draw between Arsenal and is anything to go by, is the most likely player to deputise in unfamiliar territory.

Even with Trossard still on the pitch, Arteta put the Brazilian through the middle in the second half to capitalise on Liverpool's high line. And it worked wonders, as Martinelli headed Arsenal back into the game within two minutes of the restart, and regularly offered a threat while running off the shoulder.

A continuation of the experiment against Newcastle should bode well for Odegaard. The Norwegian is coming to the end of a poor season in terms of productivity, with only two goals and seven assists in the Premier League.

Normally such a reliable creator, having set up 11 goals in the league last term, Odegaard's slumping output means he is not even in the top 10 for assists this campaign.

It may have taken Arteta reaching for the player sat fifth in his centre-forward pecking order to finally get Odegaard back to his best. There were only 45 minutes to go off on Sunday, but the signs were positive and the logic stacks up.

Odegaard's incisive passing is part of what attracted Real Madrid to him as a teenager, what made him such a big hit on loan at Real Sociedad, and what helped him become one of the Premier League's best midfielders in his second and third seasons at Arsenal. But he hasn't been able to flex those passing muscles with Havertz, Jesus, Trossard and Merino looking to come short.

Not many in the Premier League can live with Martinelli when he sprints at full tilt. If he continues up top and is willing to weaponise his pace, all he will need is accurate, well-timed passes to slot him in behind - the kind Odegaard's wheelhouse is full of.

That combination nearly resulted in a third goal against Liverpool, with Conor Bradley sliding in heroically to deny Martinelli in the box after Odegaard found him between the lines. There could be plenty more of that over the final two games of the season, in which Arsenal effectively have nothing left to lose.