Brazil are through to the World Cup last 16, with two Arsenal players having a hand in getting them there.
Japan made life difficult for the five-time champions, pushing them deep into the second half before Gabriel Magalhaes provided a brilliant cross for Casemiro to head home the equaliser.
From there, Gabriel Martinelli, who came on from the bench, found the 96th-minute breakthrough that sent Brazil through with a 2-1 win.
The assist came from Arsenal transfer target Bruno Guimaraes, a player Gunners fans will be hoping is playing alongside Martinelli at club level next season too.
💰 Bruno Guimaraes is turning 29 in November and has TWO years left on his contract… How much should Arsenal pay to sign him?
Gabriel Magalhaes opens up on his message to Gabriel Martinelli after the winner
Speaking after the game, Gabriel explained the calm approach Brazil took into the second half.
“The role at half-time was always to pass on calmness. To keep our heads calm, because we knew that, in the end, we believed and managed to win.”
He was then asked about his Arsenal teammate, and gave a classy response about their relationship at the club.
“Gabi is my teammate at Arsenal. Since I arrived, he welcomed me very well. I’m very happy for him because he is a boy who works a lot.
“I tell him he can decide a game at any moment, and today that’s what happened.”
Martinelli has spent much of this season fighting for his place at Arsenal, and some fans have lost faith in the 25-year-old.
But his teammates clearly see what he is capable of, despite not quite being afforded that level of trust domestically last season.
Gabriel Martinelli’s role for Brazil could be giving Mikel Arteta second thoughts
Many would have expected Martinelli to struggle for opportunities given Brazil’s stacked options in attack, but being deployed in a more central role helped change the flow of the game.
Carlo Ancelotti praised the impact Martinelli brought off the bench, explaining how his energy allowed Vinicius Jr to operate in wider areas.
That central role has Arsenal fans calling for Arteta to consider using Martinelli differently next season, if he stays at the Emirates at all.
With Andrea Berta exploring options for a new left winger, Martinelli’s future remains uncertain. A goal like this, on this stage, won’t make that decision any easier.
Brazil now await the winner of Ivory Coast and Norway in the next round. England, meanwhile, must first overcome Congo before any potential route to face Brazil even becomes a possibility.
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