Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey shone for Arsenal in their victory over Liverpool on Sunday as their claims for a Premier League title push took a serious turn.
The Gunners retained their place at the top of the table with their 3-2 win against the Reds as Mikel Arteta’s young side continued to defy expectations this season and remain in the lead with eight wins from their first nine fixtures.
And although a whole host of stars have shone in north London so far this season, it is Martinelli and Partey who have been singled out as a result of their crucial roles in helping the Gunners claim top spot at this early stage of the campaign.
Martinelli opened the scoring after just 58 seconds during Sunday’s huge clash and set up Arsenal’s second goal on the stroke of half-time as he took his season tally to four goals and two assists from his first nine Premier League fixtures.
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy was left in awe of the forward’s play, alongside Saka, as he labelled the duo “relentless”. Speaking on Match of the Day 2, he said: "The two young lads [Saka and Martinelli] playing left and right for them would be giving any defences in Europe or world football a problem. Great players can force teams into mistakes.
"They're relentless. They’re so direct and so full of confidence at the moment. They’re not just quick and skilful, they have end product to their games.”
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But it wasn’t just Murphy who highlighted Martinelli’s impact, with Arteta also full of praise for the “outstanding” 21-year-old, who has developed into one of the Premier League’s most deadliest forwards this season.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Arteta said: “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.”
Just as Murphy sung the praises of Saka, cases can also be made for players such as Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Jesus. But it was Partey who won plenty of plaudits for his role in the game, having bossed the game and dominated midfield ahead of the likes of Liverpool’s Thiago and Jordan Henderson.
Pundit Jamie Redknapp was quick to highlight Partey as Arsenal’s unsung hero this season, despite doubts over his fitness. He told Sky Sports : “I think people like Thomas Partey today. His involvement, the way that he controlled that midfield, he is brilliant at that job. Can they keep him fit?”
Having missed three successive fixtures due to recurring injury issues earlier this season, Partey has proved crucial in midfield as the Gunners picked up maximum points in their last three outings, with the Ghanaian scoring in the North London derby victory on October 1.
When he is fully fit and on form, Partey can be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. Without his presence over the last two fixtures, the Gunners would have struggled to beat both Tottenham and Liverpool - two games that could turn out to be season-defining results in their surprise title push this campaign.
