Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli has been tipped to play better at striker by former Gunners stars Nigel Winterburn and Martin Keown. The Brazilian signed a contract extension that will see him stay at the Emirates Stadium until 2027 as Mikel Arteta aims to keep hold of his key players.
Martinelli has scored 11 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions so far this season, including four strikes in his last four Premier League appearances. Despite not scoring in the 2-2 draw against Sporting CP on Thursday, the 21-year-old was a constant threat as Arteta deployed him in a central role.
Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Leandro Trossard were all absent for the Europa League last-16 first-leg clash in Portugal, leaving minimal attacking options for Arteta to select from. Martinelli's direct approach and pace saw him have plenty of chances to score but he failed to find the back of the net despite showing a lot of promise as a striker.
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Arsenal icon Nigel Winterburn believes Martinelli would be better utilised as a striker and would help create space for teammates, improving the Gunners' attack overall. Speaking to Paddy Power, Winterburn said: “I’m not a big believer in the false-9 position.
"Leandro Trossard has played that role recently but only because Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah have been injured. Without an out and out number nine, Mikel Arteta has had to trust the front line.
“If Jesus and Nketiah aren’t available then Gabriel Martinelli will play that role [number 9]. He’s got real pace to stretch teams in behind. If you’re playing as a centre-forward, you have to link up play and create space and opportunities for yourself, but also for your teammates.
“Martinelli was good when he went into that forward role thanks to his pace and power going forward. I don't see it [lacking a striker] as a problem at the moment.
“We obviously want Jesus and Nketiah back fit because it gives you more options off the bench. If you’re chasing a game, the more attacking players you've got on your bench, the more likely you are to be able to get a result.”
Arsenal legend Martin Keown has agreed with Winterburn and believes Martinelli would be a brilliant option at centre-forward. Keown said on BT Sport: "I believe, strongly believe, that he's a natural goalscorer.
"I would have thought actually the central position is his natural position. But from the left, we now get inside forwards.
"We saw this with [Mohamed] Salah and [Sadio] Mane, particularly when they played together as a pair, just tucking in, because Saka's doing the same thing. So they get a bit more freedom.
"But put him in the middle and he will score goals. I think he's about to prove that tonight. He's got everything in his game."
BetVictor have highlighted just how much of an impact Martinelli has had in attack this season. The Arsenal star has scored 11 times, averaging an xG (expected goals) rating of 6.7 - overperforming by +4.3 goals. This is a better overperformance rate than Tottenham striker Harry Kane (+4.2) and Manchester United star Marcus Rashford (+3.7).
Gabriel Jesus is set to return to the squad this month after recovering from a knee injury that kept him sidelined since the World Cup. Arteta is now aware that Martinelli has the ability to play in a number nine role should Jesus, Nketiah or Trossard suffer further injuries.
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