Ian Wright admits Gabriel Martinelli is "better than he thought he'd be" as the Arsenal star continues to flourish.
The Brazilian, who joined the Gunners as an unknown quantity back in 2019, has gone from strength to strength and is now a regular in the attack under Mikel Arteta. Martinelli has started every game for the north Londoners this term, scoring on five occasions as they establish themselves at the summit of the Premier League.
Martinelli has scored crucial goals in wins over Liverpool and Aston Villa as he continues to fulfil his potential. There have long been signs of his quality, but Wright has been surprised by the 21-year-old, who has surpassed the expectations he had.
He said on the Wrighty’s House podcast : “He’s one of the main reasons why Arsenal are doing what they are doing at the moment. This season, after speaking with him in pre-season and having a chat with him, he’s actually doing it. He’s better than I thought he’d be.
“I know how much Klopp just loves him, I can’t see anyone who wouldn’t. There’s not a defender he’s come up against who he hasn’t just taken to the cleaners. The way we have developed him into being able to go into the greatest footballing nation’s World Cup has to be a credit to Arsenal.”
Last season Martinelli started 21 times in the league, but is already closing in on that number. He is also just one goal off his tally for the entirety of the previous campaign.
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Arteta hailed his player after his recent performance in the win over Liverpool, stating: “He’s a great player. I think today he had an outstanding performance against a top defender, against a top team and he made a difference in the game as well as the other players and that’s the next level to step up in these games and actually make things happen to win it."
Talk of Martinelli's future continues to gather volume with his contract expiring in 2024. So far there have been no major updates on a new deal but the player underlined his commitment to the north London outfit when questioned on it recently.
He said: “I’m very happy at Arsenal. I’ve said it many times. This is my club. I love to be here, I love the city, I love the club. I love everything about Arsenal so I want to stay. I’m very happy. Yeah, I just need to get a pen!” Arsenal are in the midst of trying to tie down Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba to new deals as the trio's importance at the Emirates continues to grow.
