Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes the arrival of Leandro Trossard has helped bring out the best in Gabriel Martinelli.
Manager Mikel Arteta made a last-gasp dash for the Belgian's signature in the last knockings of the January transfer window once it became clear that priority target Mykhaylo Mudryk was on his way to London rivals Chelsea. Arsenal paid Brighton a fee of £27million for Trossard and that price is starting to look like something of a bargain.
The Gunners brushed aside Fulham at Craven Cottage with a dominant 3-0 win on Sunday, with Trossard registering a hat-trick of assists. In doing so, the 28-year-old became the first player in Premier League history to set-up three goals in one half away from home.
His second assist helped Brazil international Martinelli get on the scoresheet and net his fifth league goal in as many games, with the Brazilian heading home from close range after Trossard's inviting cross.
The pair clearly link up well together, with Martinelli showing a marked improvement on the goal-scoring front whenever Trossard is in the team as opposed to the alternative option of Eddie Nketiah. It has also allowed the South American to operate as the focal point of the Gunners' attack, with Trossard playing from wide on the left. However, the versatility of the pair has allowed both to dovetail nicely, switching positions when circumstance allows.
Gunners hero Wright certainly seems to think so, as he told the Kelly and Wrighty Show : "I think we have to mention Trossard because of the fact he came in when he came in and remember, he wasn’t even the first choice.
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"But he’s somebody that came in and is ready to go. From the first game to now, he’s just got better and better. Like I’ve said, with Gabriel Martinelli – you saw with him and Eddie [Nketiah], as much as Eddie came in and plugged that gap for a bit, scored some goals, it just got us to the next phase.
"What was happening was people started to work us out a bit because what we found with Gabi was he was kind of isolated on that left. When you look at Saka, he’s got Ben White coming round, he’s got Martin Odegaard coming across."
Wright's theory behind why Martinelli suffered a brief decline in form prior to Trossard's arrival is because he had no one to link up with and was left to do plenty of the dirty work out on his flank alone.
Now that Arsenal can call upon the Belgian to inspire the Brazilian, they are starting to fire on all cylinders at just the right time ahead of the season's final furlong, with the title on the line.
