Arsenal have a number of players who are very fast.
The Gunners are a physically imposing team. They have giants like William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes at the back, while the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz are really strong too.
That physicality has helped them a lot, but Mikel Arteta has smartly used his quick players on the wings.
Gabriel Martinelli is one of them.
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Declan Rice says Gabriel Martinelli could become a professional sprinter
Martinelli has been at Arsenal since the summer of 2019.
The Brazilian was first signed as a striker by Unai Emery, but he has mostly been used on the left flank since Arteta took charge of the club.
One of the reasons why the Arsenal manager prefers him out wide is his blistering pace.
Declan Rice has played with many rapid players for club and country in the past, but he seems to think that Martinelli is the fastest.
In a video on Hotstar, the England international was asked to name a teammate who could easily become a professional in another sport.
Rice replied without any hesitation: “I would say Martinelli, because he’s so fast that he could do something in like a relay or sprinting.”
Previously, Rice claimed that he would love to have Martinelli’s pace. It’s clear that he is a big fan of the former Ituano man.
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Arsenal are wasting Gabriel Martinelli’s pace
Martinelli possesses many brilliant traits, but his pace is probably his best one.
That should be used as an asset at Arsenal, but for whatever reason, the Brazilian is rarely ever allowed to use his speed in open space.
Arteta’s men are often too slow to get the ball to Martinelli. By the time he receives possession, he already has an opposition defender in front of him.
That needs to change, and the best way would be to give the 24-year-old the freedom he needs to drift into a more central position.
If Arteta allows that to happen, we think Martinelli will explode and finally fulfil his potential.
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