Mikel Arteta praises outstanding Martinelli display
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta singled out Gabriel Martinelli for praise following the club’s 3-2 Premier League win over Liverpool on Sunday.
The Gunners have been superb after the international break with statement victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.
They certainly needed to work hard for the latter of those wins and it was orchestrated by a fine man-of-the-match performance from Martinelli.
The Brazilian has been a revelation over the past year and helped the Gunners make the perfect start, scoring after just 57 seconds on the clock.
Liverpool equalised through Darwin Nunez in the 34th minute, but a terrific counter-attack before the break saw the Gunners pull ahead again.
Gabriel Jesus started the brilliant move which was completed by Bukayo Saka’s tap-in. However, Martinelli was the architect once more with a fine assist.
The 21-year-old outwitted both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson with a terrific turn before putting the ball on the plate for Saka.
Martinelli should have had another assist early in the second half, but Martin Odegaard squandered a superb scoring chance, hitting his shot straight at Alisson.
The miss proved costly as Roberto Firmino scored soon after, but Saka’s penalty goal ensured that the Gunners secured maximum points from the game.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Arteta described Martinelli as a ‘great player’, who had an ‘outstanding’ performance against a top team.
He told Arsenal.com: “He’s a great player, I think today he had an outstanding performance against a top defender, against a top team and he made a difference in the game as well as the other players and that’s the next level to step up in these games and actually make things happen to win it.”
Martinelli has made the left-wing position his own. He has registered four goals and two assists this campaign while creating several other goal scoring opportunities.
At just 21, he has already found his feet in the Premier League and has immense potential. Arsenal should now ensure that they secure his long-term future with them.
His current deal expires in the summer of 2024. The Gunners must open negotiations over a new contract as soon as possible to avoid him entering the final year of his deal.
If he carries on performing at the current rate, there is bound to be high-profile interest. The same can be said for Bukayo Saka and William Saliba, who have similar contracts.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
