Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli has started all five of the Gunners' Premier League fixtures this season. The Brazilian has started the new campaign in fine form, scoring three goals in August.
However, life at the Emirates Stadium hasn't always been so straightforward for Martinelli. Last season, the forward started 21 of Arsenal's 38 Premier League games. In the previous two campaigns, he played just 14 matches each season.
Now getting a consistent run in the team and the form of his life, Martinelli is reaping the rewards for his patience over his first few seasons at Arsenal, where he struggled to nail down a regular spot in the team. The Brazilian is one of the first names on the team sheet for Mikel Arteta, but when he was out of the side, he was always keen to show his boss what he was missing.
"When he wasn't playing, he was all the time in my office and every time showing me on the pitch how wrong I was," said Arteta.
"And, (from) the moment that we agreed that he was ready to do it, the way he has improved, the way he is helping the team and still the room for improvement he has is phenomenal."
"He's just a sad boy (when he's not playing).
"He loves what he does. He's so eager to do whatever it takes for him to play that he's all the time there, pushing you and giving you the right reasons to give him more minutes.
"It's just a joy to watch the freedom and personality that he plays with."
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