Gary Lineker has suggested that Arsenal starlet Gabriel Martinelli will become ‘world class’ after his sparkling performance against Liverpool on Wednesday. Despite the Gunners eventually being defeated 2-0 by the Reds, the youngster certainly earned plenty of praise.
Goals from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino secured victory for Jurgen Klopp’s men on the night as the visitors bolstered their hopes of claiming the Premier League title, whilst also handing Arsenal what could potentially be a gutting blow in their hopes of securing a top four finish. A huge positive for the Gunners though was the performance of Martinelli, who consistently troubled Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker appeared to be a huge fan of the young Brazilian’s display. He took to Twitter with a short message to share his thoughts.
READ MORE: Every word Mikel Arteta said on Ramsdale error, Martinelli's performance and fixture congestion
The 61-year-old wrote: "Martinelli will be a world class player." Signed from Ituano in 2019, Martinelli continues to be a key performer for the Gunners despite his tender years. After overcoming a few injury problems at the start of the season, he has once again established himself as a starter in Mikel Arteta ’s current Arsenal team.
The 20-year-old has made 26 appearances throughout the season so far, scoring five goals and notching four assists. He still has some way to go though to match his incredibly productive debut season in north London where he notched ten goals in all competitions.
Whilst Lineker was left purring over Martinelli, his observations of the current Arsenal side did not stop there. The former Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur also sent plenty of praise the way of Mikel Arteta for the work he has done in north London since replacing Unai Emery.
"Arsenal may have lost but they’re heading in the right direction under Arteta. No doubt," he continued. "He's building something with exceptional young players. You can’t go from poor to great in one season, but the progress is clear to see….and it should be, even to those that have little or no understanding of the game."
Arsenal will be aiming to get back to winning ways this weekend as they tackle Aston Villa.
