Former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot has now hailed two Arsenal stars who remind him of some of the north London club’s legends.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are two of the most exciting talents currently on the books at Arsenal.
The pair of wingers, who are both just 22-years-old, are nailed on-starters under Mikel Arteta.
Saka, in particular, has been in sensational form in recent weeks. The Hale End academy graduate is the Gunners’ danger man and has been on a hot streak in front of goal. When he netted against Newcastle United last time out, Saka became the first Arsenal player to score in five consecutive Premier League matches since Olivier Giroud achieved the feat in 2015.
Martinelli has been less consistent in front of goal this season, but has popped up with vital winners against both Manchester City and Liverpool. He also poses a constant threat to opposition defences with his pace and flair. On top of that, Martinelli has been hailed by his Arsenal teammate Jorginho for his willingness to do his defensive work off the ball.
Both players represent the future of the north London club, and are likely to keep on getting better and better. Few would bet against them earning their way into the pantheon of iconic Arsenal attackers in their time at the club. Saka and Martinelli may well both come to be ranked alongside the likes of Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Marc Overmars, and Freddie Ljungberg, amongst other greats, in time.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli hailed in internal competition claim
Mario Melchiot certainly feels that the pair possess superstar quality. Speaking on ESPN FC, the former right-back said, “look at Saka, how many goals he is scoring. The kid is unbelievable! What, five games in a row? He is making it feel like it’s just normal for him. When he takes you on, the worst part as a full-back…when you are one-on-one with a winger, and the winger is that confident, he’s got pace and skill…you know that you’re in trouble when he runs at you.”
“That is one of the key things that they have on both sides. Martinelli and Saka are both very dangerous, and when they’re in top form, I think this Arsenal team is just, eh, then you’re going back to like my time, with Thierry Henry, the guys who were unstoppable, Marc Overmars…that is what the wingers are doing right now. They don’t take a break, because they’re almost competing with each other.”
If Saka and Martinelli do consider themselves to be in healthy competition with each other, with both striving to outdo the other in terms of goals and assists, then that can only be a good thing for Arsenal. It is indicative of the kind of mentality that Arteta will want to cultivate within his attacking contingent.
It is now vital for the Gunners that Saka and Martinelli are able to stay fit and firing on all cylinders for the rest of the season. If Arsenal are to stand any chance of being crowned Premier League champions come the end of the current campaign, then their dynamic duo of young wide men will surely have a huge say in the matter.
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