Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli starred in Brazil’s dominant victory against Chile in their latest World Cup qualifier, with his performance being rated after the final whistle.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men comfortably defeated Chile 3-0 to move one step closer towards qualifying for the upcoming tournament, with the team sitting second in their group as they trail Argentina by 10 points.
Martinelli featured from the first whistle, with the Arsenal winger looking to impress after a mixed start to the campaign for the Gunners.
Martinelli was criticised for his performance against Liverpool, while he has failed to provide any goal contributions in Arsenal’s first three games.
Gabriel Martinelli trying to lift the crowd up during the UEFA Champions League clash between Arsenal and PSG.
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Gabriel Martinelli ‘finished poorly’ for Brazil
Martinelli was given a 71-minute outing against Chile, but failed to provide a goal or an assist in Brazil’s 3-0 win, despite having some good opportunities to do so.
Brazilian newspaper Globo has revealed its player ratings for the game. The Arsenal forward received a 6.0 score for his performance, as his end product was brought into question.
‘His usual impetus and verticality, but he still lacks decision-making and finishing. He received two passes from Bruno Guimaraes in the second half and finished poorly.’
Match Stats Martinelli
Accurate Passes 17/24 (71%)
Chances Created 1
Accurate Crosses 0/2 (0%)
Gabriel Martinelli’s stats vs. Chile – via FotMob
Martinelli was only on target with one of his two shots throughout the game. He made 36 touches, seven of which were in the opponent’s box as he tried to influence the game positively.
Meanwhile, Chelsea youngster Estevao Willian scored his first goal for Brazil and won the Player of the Match award from the opposite wing.
Gabriel Martinelli gained interest from Saudi Arabia in the summer
Martinelli has proven his qualities throughout his time at Arsenal, but has struggled to consistently deliver and provide enough output in the final third to nail down a regular first-team position.
It has led to him being frequently in and out of Mikel Arteta’s team, which caused plenty of speculation about him leaving the Gunners during the summer transfer window.
Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr were reportedly interested in Martinelli, according to CBS Sports, showcasing that his qualities are being admired far and wide.
It wasn’t just Saudi Arabian teams interested in him, either. Bayern Munich monitored Martinelli for a potential move, but nothing ended up materialising.
Instead, the Brazilian has remained at the Emirates Stadium, where he will face even more competition for places after the arrival of Eberechi Eze.