Impressive Pablo Mari debut could leave Shkodran Mustafi sweating on Arsenal future

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Arsenal defender Pablo Mari made his debut for the club in Monday night’s 2-0 FA Cup win over Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

The Gunners won courtesy of goals from Sokratis and Eddie Nketiah but it was the impressive defensive talents of Mari which caught the eye.

A centre-back by trade, he lined-up alongside David Luiz during the contest and looked solid throughout the game.

Naturally, it is hard to confirm him as a hit having only played one game against third-tier opposition but he could be exactly what Arsenal need.

The Londoners paid £4 million to take the 26-year-old on loan in January, with a further £8 million required if Arsenal are to make the move permanent during the summer.

One man who might have been worried by Mari’s first outing in the famous red and white is Shkodran Mustafi.

Although the German has been vastly improved under Mikel Arteta, the £90,000-a-week defender might now be fearing for his place in the team.

The 27-year-old joined Arsenal in 2016 and has failed to scale his World Cup-winning heights at the Emirates Stadium.

Although his form has been better under Arteta he might be deemed no more than backup if Mari can show consistent form.

Mustafi has been loosely linked with a move away from the Gunners in the past and he could decide to move on in the summer.

Boss Mikel Arteta will want to put his own stamp on the squad and with Mari being his signing, it seems likely he will play more often than not.

Rotation

Arsenal face West Ham on Saturday and it would be telling if Mari kept his place in the team.

Starting for a heavily rotated side is one thing but if he was to get a start at the expense of Mustafi in the league, it would send out a loud message.

The summer could be an uncertain time for Mustafi and the form of Mari could go a long way towards deciding the fate on his Arsenal career.