Gabriel Martinelli already knows what he must do to beat PSG after Arsenal first leg failure

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Arsenal will have to right their wrongs at the Parc des Princes if the Gunners are to reach the Champions League final.

Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal 1-0 to hand Mikel Arteta his first managerial defeat in the Champions League at the Emirates. 

Luis Enrique’s side were better than the Gunners in all departments in the first leg of the semi-final, but thankfully, there’s only a one-goal deficit to overturn.

Several Arsenal players were far from their best against PSG, with one of the standouts for the wrong reasons being Gabriel Martinelli. 

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Gabriel Martinelli must target Achraf Hakimi in Champions League semi-final second leg

Martinelli struggled against PSG, completing only six passes in 90 minutes. 

Aside from his poor rate of distribution, the Brazilian missed two clear chances to score, emphasising the need for him to turn things around in the second leg in Paris.

For all of the 23-year-old’s struggles against PSG, Martinelli did offer a glimmer of hope in spells, as his pace was something that the opposition did not want to deal with.

Though the winger failed to complete a single dribble, the one-versus-one match-up between him and Achraf Hakimi can give Arsenal hope for the second leg. 

No player in the Champions League has been dribbled past more times than Hakimi this season, who had been passed by 22 times before facing Arsenal, with an additional three added to his tally in N5. 

Martinelli will be ruing his inability to punish Hakimi at the Emirates, but with 90 minutes of the tie remaining, the Brazilian can certainly turn his fortune around.

First-leg failure for Martinelli and Arsenal 

As mentioned, for all of Hakimi’s weaknesses when isolated, Martinelli was unable to complete a single dribble on the night against PSG. 

While Bukayo Saka caused PSG problems whenever he was one the ball, such threat was not translated on the left side, which has become a tedious theme for Arsenal.

Martinelli showed his worth in the second leg against Real Madrid, and now, the Brazil international must become the hero once more away from home.

It wasn’t Martinelli’s night against PSG, but it’s only half-time, giving the forward the opportunity to inflict damage on Hakimi, who is a weak point in PSG’s back line.