Gabriel Jesus has praised Gabriel Martinelli after the winger scored the opening goal as Arsenal won 2-1 away to Sevilla in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday.
The Gunners moved atop Group B with their result at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan as RC Lens drew 1-1 with PSV Eindhoven. Martinelli (45+3’) broke the deadlock right before half-time at Sevilla for Arsenal. Jesus (53’) built onto his compatriot’s goal in style shortly after the break.
Jesus and Martinelli combined for the Emirates Stadium team’s opening effort after catching Sevilla on the counter-attack. Gabriel Magalhaes’ clearance found Jesus under duress from Nemanja Gudelj. But Jesus spun the defender and Boubakary Soumare to release Martinelli.
Jesus and Martinelli led Arsenal to a 2-1 win over Sevilla
Jesus executed a delicate Cruyff turn to evade the Sevilla players as Martinelli burst through the centre of the field. The striker’s perfectly weighted pass then set his compatriot bearing down on the goal unchallenged before rounding Orjan Nyland and rolling his attempt home.
As if the assist was not good enough, Jesus’ goal was even better as he cut in from the wing. Declan Rice played the ball out to the 26-year-old, who rounded Jesus Navas to get the ball back inside. Jesus then darted into the space before bursting the far corner of Nyland’s net.
Jesus praised Martinelli after the Champions League tie
Jesus now has four goals and an assist through 11 appearances in all competitions so far this season. But the Sao Paulo native also sought to praise Martinelli after the 22-year-old’s goal while speaking to TNT Sports after Arsenal beat Sevilla. It was the winger’s second this term.
The 63-cap Brazil striker further noted how Martinelli’s goal came about. Jesus adds that he is always in discussion with Arsenal’s defensive group of Gabriel, William Saliba, Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu to create situations like Martinelli’s latest goal.
Jesus said: “All the time, I go to our defenders – Gabi, Saliba, Ben, Zinchenko or in this case today it was Tomiyasu, or even the ‘keeper – and I say, ‘Listen, when you put the ball away, always look at me if you cannot look because it’s quick. Put it in the middle, he’ll be there’.
“I think I control [the ball] good, and then I saw both jump on me and I turn. And, obviously, I just need to give [it to] Gabi because he’s so fast and so good. And he finished the action so well and opened the result for us.”
The hamstring injury Martinelli sustained at Everton in September prevented the seven-cap Brazil winger from building his form this season. But Mikel Arteta will have loved seeing the attacker score at Sevilla. It followed another superb Martinelli goal against Manchester City.
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