Martin Keown shares what he’s told Gabriel Martinelli behind the scenes about his struggles at Arsenal

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Of late, neither Gabriel Martinelli nor Leandro Trossard are taking their chance to nail down the starting spot on the left-wing for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta now often rotates between the duo, partly because neither are showing the necessary consistency to start for every game for Arsenal right now.

In truth, Martinelli and Trossard are now both performing more effectively when used as substitutes – neither are thriving from the off.

Of course, some fans at the Emirates Stadium may then wonder why Raheem Sterling never gets a chance, a left-winger who’s won the Premier League four times.

However, that’s a debate for another day.

Gabriel Martinelli told how he can start scoring goals for Arsenal again

Speaking during TNT Sports’ coverage of Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Monaco on Wednesday evening, Martin Keown shared an interesting bit of advice he had given to Martinelli recently.

Keown was aware of the Brazilian’s struggles in front of goal and told him it was time to start ‘enjoying’ his chances to score again.

READ MORE: Arsenal fans have a lot to say about Mikel Merino after his Monaco display and it’s not good

When also discussing the struggles of Martinelli’s compatriot, Gabriel Jesus, Keown seemed to recognise that both were feeling the pressure to put away their chances.

At his best, Martinelli was fearless in front of goal – he took every opportunity like it was his last.

However, there’s now a timid aspect to his finishing, something Keown must think can be solved.

Keown said: “I spoke to Martinelli recently and I said to him, ‘Look, just enjoy it, love those moments.’

“The top players seem to, sort of, time stands still for those players.

“[He’s] just a bit rushed in those moments, and I think it’s just about belief. And when the goals start to come, certainly for Jesus [as well], I think they will come in droves.”

Martinelli’s worrying numbers in front of goal

Aside from his struggles in front of goal, Martinelli delivered a classy gesture shortly after Arsenal went 1-0 up against Monaco.

The Brazilian ran over to congratulate Myles Lewis-Skelly who provided a brilliant pre-assist for Bukayo Saka’s first goal.

In terms of his own numbers in front of goal, there has been a clear drop for Martinelli since his brilliant 2022/23 campaign.

Perhaps some in N5 will conclude that Arteta is simply asking more of his wingers defensively now, which is hindering their attacking efforts.

However, even when Martinelli is getting front of goal, he’s not hitting the ball with anywhere near as much conviction.