Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli became the talk of the town after his 96th-minute winner helped Brazil reach the last 16 of the World Cup.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side had a slow start to the tournament, and there have been moments where they haven’t looked great.
But they are still winning games, and Martinelli turned out to be Brazil’s latest hero.
Now, the Arsenal star is about to be rewarded for his efforts. Globo Esporte have revealed that Martinelli is expected to start as an attacking midfielder when Brazil take on Norway on Sunday night.
That has raised the excitement level among Arsenal supporters.
Is Gabriel Martinelli the best Brazilian in the Premier League right now? If not, who is?
Arsenal fans react to news that Gabriel Martinelli could start in midfield for Brazil vs Norway
Arsenal fans were surprised to see Ancelotti deploy Gabriel Martinelli as a number eight in Brazil’s 2-1 win over Japan at the World Cup.
Now, after hearing that their number 11 could play in an attacking midfield/second-striker role, they are all over the moon.
One Arsenal supporter tweeted: “Martinelli being Ronaldinho’s heir. Dreamed of days like these.”
Another wrote: “Ancelotti showing Arteta levels. Let’s show the world, Martinelli!”
“Martinelli will explode into a superstar in front of our eyes,” said another.
Another Gooner reacted by saying: “We saw he was a better striker than Viktor Gyokeres, now we’re about to see he’s a better midfielder than Martin Odegaard.”
“Now you’ll see the real Martinelli. He has always been a central player being wasted out wide. Carlo is a genius, Arteta take notes,” said another.
Gabriel Martinelli in a central role could be a game-changer
When Martinelli first arrived at Arsenal and took English football by storm, Unai Emery mostly used him as a striker.
The Brazilian was so good in that role and earned praise from everyone. Jurgen Klopp even called him the talent of the century.
Arteta, however, has been fully against using Martinelli in a more central role, but we think that is where his future lies.
It will be interesting to see how Ancelotti can transform him in a central role. We have a feeling he will surprise a lot of people with his display.
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