In the north London mist, Arsenal came no closer to stumbling upon a temporary heir to their starboy. This was ultimately an exercise in doing the necessary, making sure realistic hope of a title challenge extended towards the season’s second half and overcoming a well-coached but impotent Ipswich. Yet if the hope had been that it would offer a window into a prolonged run without Bukayo Saka, the wait for answers will now drift into early 2025.
The pre-match hype had centred on Gabriel Martinelli, moved across from his usual left-sided perch upon Saka’s injury at Selhurst Park and quickly settling down with a goal in that thrashing. Martinelli is an explosive yet mercurial talent; the darkest fears during his more barren stretches concern whether, at 23, his ceiling may not be far off. But here was a chance to prove he could be the man to deputise over a longer stretch: at least two months, as Mikel Arteta explained afterwards. On the face of things, Ipswich were ideal fodder against whom to state the case.
