Just a couple of years ago, Gabriel Martinelli was thought about in the same breath as Bukayo Saka at Arsenal
After emerging from the depths of Brazilian football, Arsenal seemed to have found a gem out of nowhere – Martinelli was the exact kind of player Mikel Arteta needed.
The winger was raw, fearless and taking the Premier League by storm – Arsenal supposedly had their wing positions locked down for the next 10 years.
Now, in 2024, there are even Arsenal fans calling for the club to sell Martinelli who has somewhat lost the fearless aspect to his attacking displays.
Mikel Arteta already knew why Gabriel Martinelli might lose his edge at Arsenal
With that in mind, it’s now interesting to revisit some comments Arteta made about Martinelli when praising the Brazil international in 2021.
Martinelli had just scored four goals in six Premier League games, form that was underlined by a stunning brace away to Leeds United.
Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal celebrates after scoring their team's second goal during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Arsena...
Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images
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Arteta praised Martinelli’s willingness to take risks on the ball, something he’s seldom seen doing at the Emirates Stadium today.
Moreover, Arteta’s words about developing Martinelli without losing his passion and ability to change a game are particularly pertinent, given that has arguably now happened.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta said: “He (Martinelli) trains incredibly hard, he is always willing to do more and he is not scared or afraid to take risks – and that is what I like about him.”
“You cannot play every action at 100mph, it is impossible. It is not very efficient for you because you burn yourself out after a few minutes, and then you’re just chasing a situation and not reading exactly what is needed.
“Gabi is doing much better at that. We have to try to do that without losing the passion, the energy and this capacity he has to just affect the game with the way he acts on the pitch.”
How do Arsenal get Gabriel Martinelli back to his best?
Recently, Martinelli was named as one of four players getting worse at Arsenal, a comment that is equally harsh as it is true.
So how do Arsenal get Martinelli back to his levels?
2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Games 26 23 36 46 44 21
Goals 10 2 6 15 8 4
Assists 4 2 7 6 5 3
Martinelli’s goal and assist record in all competitons at Arsenal.
It might be too simplistic to say, but it simply feels as if Martinelli needs to be released from his defensive responsibilities somewhat, given he’s almost a defensive winger first and foremost.
The Brazilian plays very wide given the left-back behind him often inverts, and the 23-year-old has suffered since he’s not had someone overlapping him.
Martinelli’s best performances arguably came when he had Kieran Tierney behind him, who gave him the license to be more instinctive and free-thinking when going forward.
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