Jurgen Klopp once labelled Gabriel Martinelli as the talent of the century and the Arsenal winger has proven him right in spectacular fashion. The 21-year-old scored inside the opening minute of the Gunners' clash with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, as Mikel Arteta looks to defend his side's place at the top of the Premier League.
Martinelli has featured 11 times for the north Londoners this season, with a goal and assist against the Merseyside club taking his tally for the campaign up to six direct involvements. A composed finish after latching on to Martin Odegaard's delicately threaded through ball put Arsenal ahead before Bukayo Saka found the Brazil international's cross to reclaim the Gunners' lead after Darwin Nunez had pulled one back for the visitors.
After an ten-goal frenzy in the Carabao Cup three years ago, Klopp said of Martinelli: "Martinelli’s pretty much the same age [as Liverpool defender Sepp Van De Berg] but he’s a talent of the century, he’s an incredible striker, so it’s really difficult. It was not in this game only. I watch a lot of football, so I saw the Europa League games of Arsenal.
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"He’s 18 years old, right? So our scouting department is all over the world and stuff like this, but I think Edu gets all the credit for that signing – he came from… wherever. He’s really unbelievable.
"So young, looks so mature already, is a proper threat. Yeah, he looks like a really decent player. I didn’t want to put any backpack [pressure] on his back with this thing [his earlier remarks] but I just really like good football players and obviously he’s a very good one."
And, in May, Klopp was - again - very complimentary of Martinelli after Liverpool's 2-0 win over Arsenal in the Premier League. In the German boss' praise, he came to the defence of Trent Alexander-Arnold after the winger had turned the England international inside and out.
He said: "Apart from the diagonal balls to Martinelli which Trent defended incredibly, the boy Martinelli is such a talented boy, really tricky and if anybody says Trent can't defend they can come to me and I will knock them down because I cannot hear that anymore, I don't know what the boy has to do!"
But, with Alexander-Arnold under the spotlight again as questions are asked of his defensive capabilities, Klopp's admission has since come back to haunt him and his side.
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