Gabriel Martinelli has proved that he will be a great Arsenal player in the future after he passed two critical tests. The Brazilian has come up against the two best right-backs in the Premier League and has dominated in both match ups.
The 21-year-old has been excellent against both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joao Cancelo who have been the stand-outs in the league so far. There has been a lot of hype surrounding Martinelli and he is certainly living up to his promise.
Arsenal did lose both games to Manchester City and Liverpool. But the fact that Martinelli still stood out with his performances shows just how much of quality of a player he is.
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The youngster had an excellent opportunity to top off his great performance against Pep Guardiola’s side with a goal but he missed a chance in the second half. Despite this, throughout the game he dominate the right-hand side, and Cancelo who has been the Citizen’s best player this season was nullified by the threat of Martinelli.
His impressive performance was carried over against Liverpool, where he came face-to-face with Alexander-Arnold, another player who is incredibly important to his team system. Trent Alexander-Arnold had a torrid time against the tricky winger. Martinelli got the best of him anytime they went into a one-on-one duel.
Klopp was full of praise for the Arsenal player in the last meeting between the sides, and I’m sure he has climbed even higher in his estimations. All that was missing from his performance was a goal to top it off.
Liverpool have been previously linked to signing him in the future, and it is clear to see why after the excellent display he had shown. Martinelli will certainly be a top player and this match proved that he will be able to fulfill his potential in an Arsenal shirt.
Gabriel Martinelli had been called up to the Brazilian international setup for the first time last week, and this match made it clear to see why. He showed the attributes of everything you would expect from a Brazilian star forward.
The international call-up is a reflection of the quality he has shown in an Arsenal shirt this season. His promising potential has been smashed home by his ability to overcome the top two right-backs in the Premier League.