Martinelli's explosive campaign keeping Arsenal in hunt for title
Reiss Nelson was the unlikely two-goal hero as Arsenal thrashed Nottingham Forest 5-0 on Sunday. Introduced as a first half substitute in place of the injured Bukayo Saka, Nelson stepped up to the plate on his first Premier League appearance since the opening weekend of last season.
Saka’s early exit was the sole sour note to come out of a game that sent Mikel Arteta’s men back to the top of the table. The extent of the injury is not clear at the time of writing, but Arsenal – and England – will be concerned, despite Arteta’s claim that the forward is "hopefully not" a doubt for the World Cup.
Arsenal still have two crunch league games to play before then, away to Chelsea and Wolves. This weekend’s London derby at Stamford Bridge will be a particularly stern test of the Gunners’ title credentials. If Saka does miss out, Arsenal fans will primarily look to Gabriel Martinelli, not Nelson, to fill the void.
The Brazilian opened the scoring after just five minutes of Sunday’s game. He made a darting run across Steve Cook to meet Saka’s cross from the right wing, before powering a diving header past Dean Henderson and into the bottom corner. The early breakthrough made Arsenal’s task much easier than it might otherwise have been against a Forest team that had beaten Liverpool eight days earlier.
It was a goal that exemplified the progress Martinelli has made over the last couple of years. As Saka received possession on the corner of the box, six Forest outfielders were closer to the ball than Martinelli. Sensing an opportunity, the winger sprinted into space and connected with his header in the centre of the box, around 10 yards out. Seasoned centre-forwards would have been proud of the movement and finish.
Martinelli has long been a thrilling talent, but he has become more effective in the final third this season. He has already scored five goals in 12 league appearances, putting him just one short of his tally for the entirety of last term.
Martinelli is averaging 2.7 shots per 90 so far this term. Of Premier League wide men who have played at least 400 minutes, only Miguel Almiron (2.8), Mohamed Salah (3 when playing on the right) and Antony (4) are getting more attempts off.
Of those shots, 1.7 per 90 have come from inside the penalty box, evidencing Martinelli’s ability to get into dangerous positions. His goals against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Forest all came from close range. Still only 21, he appears to have learned the importance of attacking the penalty area earlier than many wingers in his mould.
The Brazilian offers plenty to his team outside the box too. Martinelli’s dynamism and directness make him a full-back’s nightmare. He can get the better of his opponent with his sheer speed in transition, or use his quick feet and trickery to evade his marker in phases of established possession. Electric in full flow, he is averaging 2.2 dribbles per 90 and is increasingly creative with his end product, too. His two key passes per 90 represent a 33% increase from 2021/22.
Martinelli is hugely talented, but he is far from a luxury player. With his energy and enthusiasm, he sets the tone for the Arsenal press. The Brazilian is relentless and never gives his opponents a moment’s peace. He looks to have grown stronger in recent months and certainly has no problem dealing with the physicality of the Premier League. Freddie Ljungberg, who knows a thing or two about being a hard-working, all-action wide player for Arsenal, has in the past likened Martinelli to a "Duracell battery".
"It is a nightmare to play against him," Arteta said after Martinelli’s starring performance in last month’s 3-2 victory over Liverpool, in which the Brazilian opened the scoring after just 56 seconds.
"Obviously, when you see what he was when he started a year ago against Brentford, to what he is today… the development is just phenomenal. But it is his hunger, his desire, how much he loves to play, to train, to get better every single day."
Gabriel Jesus (7.62) is the only Arsenal player with a higher WhoScored rating than the 21-year-old (7.38) after 12 rounds of fixtures. Martinelli is now one of the best wide forwards in the Premier League and he looks set to continue playing an integral part in Arsenal’s unanticipated title tilt.
