Champions League: Porto predator shows Arsenal what they missed
Published:It is only matchday two of the Champions League and Arsenal are under huge pressure to grab three points at home to Galatasaray following a lifeless defeat in Dortmund.
If only Arsene Wenger had a prolific striker among his rank to call upon, that task would be so much easier.
Without showing disrespect to £16m addition, Danny Welbeck, prolific is not an adjective usually associated with the former Manchester United trainee, sporadic might be closer to it.
Welbz could yet flourish under fresh employment, though witnessing another long-term transfer target grabbing the headlines in Europe must be more than a little galling for Gooners frustrated by the lack of investment in a dependent frontman this summer.
Porto’s Jackson Martinez was never going to come cheap, but then what world-class talent does these days?
The Colombian international popped up twice in the space of two frenzied minutes against Shakhtar Donetsk to rescue an invaluable Champions League point from the jaws of defeat in Ukraine.
This is the man who even claimed to be an Arsenal fan when the speculation was at its peak back in January, not the most subtle of hints, but too understated to budge Wenger into action.
Failure to follow through on their pursuit of Porto’s star striker has clearly been compounded by the long-term injury to Olivier Giroud, though a situation such as this should have been allowed for.
While Martinez, who has now banged in eight goals in as many Porto appearances this season, remains out of reach until January at the earliest, Arsenal will be relying on in-form winger Alexis Sanchez against Galatasaray instead.
The Chilean has notched four goals in his last five starts and is boosted from 9/2 to 5/1 to grab the first goal of the game against the Turkish visitors.
Whatever price Martinez would have cost this summer (£27m was mooted), it’s sure to have inflated since given the frequency in which he is finding the net again this season.
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