Arsenal stars Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli played a big part in Sunday's victory over Liverpool.
Martinelli put Arsenal in front against the 2019-20 Premier League champions inside a minute, with Saka scoring Arsenal's second and third goals in the 3-2 victory. The result took Arsenal to 24 points from a possible 27, their highest tally at this stage since the 2007-08 season, and kept them above Manchester City at the top of the table.
The pair, who are both just 21 years of age, have 13 goals and assists between them in the league this season. And they are continuing to deliver on the hype around them from pundits including Roy Keane and Ronaldinho, both of whom tipped them for the top as teenagers.
Keane's praise for Saka goes all the way back to one of the England international's first ever games for the Gunners. The academy graduate was handed a start away to Manchester United early in the 2019-20 campaign, and impressed Keane far more than record signing Nicolas Pepe.
"We make excuses for players a lot, it takes time to settle into a club," the Irishman said of Pepe. "But you see this young kid tonight [Saka], Pepe compared to him for the money they paid he needs to do a lot more."
Saka was coming off his first senior goal at the time, and only scored once in the Premier League in the next 12 months. However, his 11 league goals last season were more than any other Arsenal player and Keane has remained impressed.
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Saka has also been on target for England, scoring his first goals for his country in 2021. He is expected to play a big part for Gareth Southgate's side at the upcoming World Cup, and Keane praised the youngster while aiming a dig at Arsenal early last season after the Gunners lost their first three in the league.
"He had a good day today, I’m sure he’s going to enjoy the win - because he’s not getting many at club level," the former Manchester United captain said after Saka scored against Andorra in September 2021. The game was just his second for England after a missed penalty in the Euro 2020 final, and Keane was impressed with Saka's response.
"Yeah of course [you learn more when things go wrong] its good to win football matches and get the plaudits but what he had to deal with wasn’t right especially off the pitch stuff," he continued. "He’s a young player he missed a penalty, all the great football players miss penalties but it’s about how to react, even in his interview he’s moved on, learned from it and he’s going to have a great career."
A few months after Keane's first words of praise for Saka, Ronaldinho talked up compatriot Martinelli. The Arsenal forward hit double-figures in his first Gunners season, and now looks back to his best after a lengthy injury-related absence in the 2020-21 season halted his progress.
"We as Brazilians are very excited about him and his future," Ronaldinho told Mirror Football in January 2020. "It is one thing to have the talent - but another at the age of 18 to have the confidence.
“He reminds me of Ronaldo, his first season in Europe [with PSV Eindhoven] he scored 30 goals and people were thinking: ‘who is this 18 year old Brazilian kid?’ He wanted the ball, he would run at players, there was no fear no matter what players or team he was playing against - and I see that similar attitude in Martinelli.
"He just wants to be on the ball and score goals. Ronaldo went on to be the best player in the world - and that can also be the aim of Martinelli.”
While Martinelli might not be the best in the world just yet, his progress has been impressive. The same goes for Saka, and pundit Danny Murphy praised the pair on Match of the Day 2.
"Sometimes analysis can be made simple for you by wonderful footballers playing with confidence," the former Liverpool and England midfielder said. "The two young lads [Saka and Martinelli] playing left and right for them would be giving any defences in Europe or world football a problem.
"Great players can force teams into mistakes. They’re relentless. They’re so direct and so full of confidence at the moment."
