Gabriel Martinelli has now given his verdict on his efforts against Tottenham Hotspur.
Gabriel Martinelli was named in the starting XI as Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side were able to fight their way to a 1-0 win in the North London Derby, with Gabriel Magalhaes’ second half header proving to be the difference between the two bitter rivals.
However, the margin of victory might have been wider had Martinelli been more clinical in the first half.
Having been played clean through on goal by Leandro Trossard, the Brazilian had Bukayo Saka up with him in support but opted to go for goal instead. However, his tame effort was easily saved by the goalkeeper.
Martinelli was criticised for his wastefulness, as the incident seemed to sum up his struggles to produce end product that have dogged in him in recent months.
Many Arsenal fans were frustrated by Martinelli, too. However, there were elements of the 23-year-old’s performance that he deserves credit for. He worked incredibly hard, caused problems with his pace and movement, and contributed to the defensive effort.
Gabriel Martinelli reviews his display in Arsenal win over Tottenham Hotspur
Whilst he has had his detractors elsewhere, Martinelli was satisfied with his work after this match, and felt that the team as a whole had been able to impress.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the winger stated: “It’s always really good to win against them. These days are even bigger when you win against them.
“I really like these kinds of games. They’ve got a really high line, it’s good for the wide players. We had a really good game and I’m really happy with the performance.”
Clearly, Martinelli was able to execute Arteta’s instructions, but there is certainly an argument that Arsenal need more from him.
Is Martinelli’s form a concern for Arsenal?
Whilst Arteta will appreciate Martinelli’s work rate and athletic qualities, he will be be desperate to see the attacker rediscover his confidence in front of goal. The Gunners need to be able to rely upon him to convert chances again.
However, with Raheem Sterling, as well as Trossard, now available to compete with Martinelli for game time, it could be the case that the latter is taken out of the firing line for a while.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Martinelli benched in midweek, for instance, with Sterling given his full debut in the Gunners’ first Champions League fixture of the season, against Atalanta.
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