Arsenal drop double early Brentford team news hint as Declan Rice decision made
Arsenal have hinted that Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli will start on New Year's Day against Brentford.
Rice returned to Arsenal's starting line-up against Ipswich Town - in their final match of 2024 - after scoring and assisting as a substitute at Selhurst Park vs Crystal Palace, after recovering from the knock which kept him out of their League Cup quarter-final. That appearance was the midfielder's first outing off the bench this season and only his fourth since signing from West Ham United.
Martinelli, meanwhile, has played a full 90 minutes in each of the Gunners' last two games - for the first time this season - and last doing so in February. Before those games, the forward had not finished a match he started since early November.
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Arsenal hinted at his involvement against Brentford on New Year's Eve when they featured Martinelli in a graphic shared across their social media channels, with details for their next match. Then, on New Year's Day morning, the club's official account had Rice as the centrepiece of their matchday graphic.
Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus were the subjects of those two particular posts before a match with Ipswich, both of whom started at the Emirates Stadium. Bukayo Saka and William Saliba were the focus before the Palace league game, with those two also starting that fixture.
However, ahead of the Brentford match, only Jorginho shared a graphic detailing who the Gunners' next game is against. The midfielder did so around 24 hours before kick-off, highlighting when the game will start in Brazil, plus adopted home of Italy, and England, as well.
Jorginho has been on the bench for both of Arsenal's last two games without playing being summoned. However, before that, he appeared in six straight games across all competitions - starting away matches against Fulham and West Ham in the Premier League - not to mention the cup tie with Palace.