Mikel Arteta thought one Arsenal player hit ‘another level’ vs Shakhtar Donetsk, and he’s not wrong

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Arsenal got back to winning ways on Tuesday night, beating Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.

Following the disappointment of losing to Bournemouth, it was imperative that Mikel Arteta’s side redeemed themselves. 

The Gunners did just that to some degree, securing a 1-0 win over Shakhtar at the Emirates in a rather lacklustre performance.

Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk scored the only goal of the game, scrambling Gabriel Martinelli’s effort over the line to give Arsenal the win. 

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Gabriel Martinelli impressed for Arsenal against Shakhtar Donetsk

Arteta wouldn’t have been blown away by his team’s performance, as Arsenal didn’t threaten the way fans would’ve hoped.

The most important thing is that three points were earned, with the match giving Arteta plenty to think about ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster clash against Liverpool. 

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From injury woes to tactical debates, the Spaniards mind will be occupied from now until the weekend although, there’s one thing the boss can be sure about.

Martinelli may not have been credited with the match-winning goal however, the Brazilian was undoubtedly Arsenal’s man of the match, being awarded the prize at full time. 

After a trialling start to the campaign, the winger has rediscovered his form, giving Arteta no need to debate who to start on the left flank.

Against Shakhtar, Martinelli showcased a true masterclass in wing play, as his numbers reinforced.

In his 90 minutes on the pitch, the 23-year-old had 46 touches on the ball, where he completed an impressive five key passes and 100% of his attempted dribbles, via Sofascore. 

Perhaps the most overlooked element of Martinelli’s game was on show in full force against the Ukrainian side, as the Brazil international won seven duels, putting a shift in on the left side.

Mikel Arteta praised Martinelli

It was a dominant display from Martinelli, who has really turned a corner in the past few weeks, which is good to see.

Arteta was quizzed on the winger’s performance after the win in his post-match press conference, where he praised his forward for adding ‘another level’ to the front line.

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“He looked really sharp, he looked really fresh, fresher than anybody else on that pitch. You noticed that against Bournemouth, you could tell that was different,” Arteta said.

“He had another gear, he added another level of threat, he started the game really well and he had a great performance today.”

In what was a collectively stale performance, Martinelli shone the brightest, taking another step towards unlocking his brilliant best after a difficult few months.