Increased competition in the Arsenal squad is helping some players and hindering others.
The queue into Arsenal’s first team has been difficult for players like Ethan Nwaneri, whose game time has reduced.
With that said, the rise in competition has helped raise the level in Mikel Arteta’s title-challenging squad, which has certainly worked for Gabriel Martinelli.
Martinelli really declined last season, performing at a level way below the standard required to be a starting winger at Arsenal, but now, he’s on course to hit new heights.
What do YOU think is the main cause of Gabriel Martinelli’s unfulfilled potential?
Gabriel Martinelli could have his best scoring season at Arsenal
The Brazilian has only secured six Premier League starts this season, but it’s in the cups where he’s really thriving.
Despite only scoring once in the league, Martinelli just scored a hat-trick against Portsmouth, seeing his goal tally for 2025/26 rise to nine.
Though the winger’s output in the Premier League has been poor, he can’t stop scoring in the Champions League, with the same going in the FA Cup.
Martinelli’s goal tally has surprisingly put him in position to absolutely obliterate his highest-scoring season at Arsenal.
In the 2022/23 campaign, the 24-year-old scored 15 goals in all competitions, all of them coming in the Premier League.
Currently on nine, Martinelli needs seven goals to surpass his personal record at Arsenal, with so many games yet to play.
Admittedly, it’s a real shock to see the winger in this position, given how his status as a starter has changed.
Martinelli could also allow Arsenal to obliterate a record
Breaking his goal tally isn’t the only record at Arsenal that Martinelli could contribute to in 2026.
The Brazilian could become Arsenal’s record transfer sale, as rumours are building regarding his future.
Fill in the blank: Gabriel Martinelli is worth £__m to Arsenal…
It’s understood that Real Madrid want to sign Martinelli, with any sale of the 24-year-old guaranteed to hand Arsenal a profit.
The winger was signed for just £6m and the Gunners’ record sale stands at £35m, when Liverpool signed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
There’s no chance a player of Martinelli’s calibre would leave for less than £35m, particularly if he scores more than 15 goals this season.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
