Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli has come under fire throughout the 2024/25 campaign.
The Brazilian arrived at Arsenal in 2019 as an unknown figure and quickly ensured that his presence in North London would be remembered.
In the 2022/23 season, Martinelli was one of the Gunners’ best players, contributing to an impressive 21 goals in all competitions from the left wing.
This campaign has been different for the 23-year-old, seeing Martinelli receive strong criticism amid a dip in his form and confidence.
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Gabriel Martinelli finally responded to Thierry Henry criticism against Dinamo Zagreb
For Martinelli, playing the same role as Bukayo Saka is not easy, as Ian Wright explained when detailing the Englishman’s rise compared to his teammate.
While the Brazilian’s quality on a good day is impossible to deny, the winger has been asked exhaustively to use his footballing brain more when attacking in wide areas.
In December, Thierry Henry blasted Martinelli’s decision making, calling on the 23-year-old to diversify his approach at times.
“People say Arsenal didn’t create. You did create, it’s the choice that you didn’t take,” Henry said, referring to Martinelli.
“Martinelli knows that if he dummies with his shoulder here and goes inside, he has one tap-in, two tap-in, three tap-in even about now, if he goes inside. That [going outside] was the last thing he should’ve done, going on your wrong foot for a shot and Tarkowski blocks it.”
Henry’s footballing opinion is valuable, with his feedback for Martinelli needing to be taken on board which finally, against Dinamo Zagreb, seemed to be the case.
The Brazilian charged forward whilst heavily marked and got his head up, assessed his options in the box and played in an inch-perfect cross to Kai Havertz.
Martinelli’s actions on the left soon after resulted in a goal, as Havertz cushioned the ball into Declan Rice to bury the chance.
Martinelli is unstoppable when he gets it right
The winger’s actions left Dinamo Zagreb spellbound, which was a moment to behold and, a moment to savour, being a sight that’s rarely seen.
It’s not only Henry that has been on the Brazil international’s back this season, as Theo Walcott also urged Martinelli to improve for almost an identical reason.
This campaign, Martinelli will have learned that pace and power is not enough, with all the strings to his bow needing to be plucked to be considered one of Arsenal’s difference makers.
Terrorising defenders is what the Brazilian needs to do consistently to be able to truly reflect the threat that Saka offers on the right, which he certainly did against Dimano Zagreb.
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