Morning all.
I read this description of Gabriel Martinelli’s recent performances. I say recent but this includes last season too.
He’s trying — that much is clear — but the execution is off.
Attackers often produce their best football when playing off the cuff, when trusting their instincts. In an Arsenal shirt, Martinelli frequently looks like a player attempting to adhere to instruction — a natural improviser who’s been given lines to learn.
Within the article, written by James McNicholas in The Athletic, he highlighted a moment during our game against Liverpool when Martinelli’s decision making was poor. We all spotted it I’m sure. During the first half, our winger was hot footing in down the left with the ball with Viktor Gyokeres running into space ahead of him. The best decision would have been to send our new striker on his way with a pass ahead of him but instead, he carried on down the left wing, the move fizzling out to nothing.
Today’s Gabriel Martinelli is very different to the one who first arrived at Arsenal during Unai Emery’s reign.
What I found interesting in the above clip, which I know is all his good bits, is the rapport he Martinelli had with Bukayo Saka who was playing at left back under Unai Emery. Partnerships in football are important. We’ve seen it with Ben White and Saka on the right for a few years now but our left side, doesn’t seem to be as fruitful regardless of whether it’s Riccardo Calafiori or Myles Lewis-Skelly playing at left back. Or Jurrien Timber for that matter.
Also, and perhaps his critics sometimes forget this but with our left back inverting at every given opportunity, Martinelli is often dropping deep to defend and defend well he does too. It might just be my perception but I’m sure Martinelli’s defensive duties are required more often than Saka’s are.
I’m not trying to find an excuse for Martinelli’s inability to spot Gyokeres in a great position, not that he’s the only player struggling in that department, but perhaps if he could get back to playing with more freedom, he’d get somewhere back to his best. As McNicholas pointed out though, it was when the team as a whole lacked organisation, Martinelli was very good so perhaps it’s the system stifling him rather than his own ability. He hasn’t got the silky or skilled footwork to get past his man but he pace to burn. Arsenal’s slow and steady buildup doesn’t help a player like Martinelli any more than not being able to bring Gyokeres into the game does.
It seems like everything Martinelli does is done under a microscope. Get something wrong and the media are on it, the fans are on it and his place in the team is questioned. If Gyokeres doesn’t score goals on a regular basis, he too will come under the same microscope and the same criticism.
Perhaps I’m just old fashioned but why can’t defenders defend, midfielders defend and create depending on their position, wingers be wingers and strikers be strikers. Nowadays, every player is expected to be everything and be everywhere. Great if we’re in total control of a game but hard on our forwards if they are back defending one minute before being expected to get forward quickly and do something magical. Hard on our defenders too as they are doing the same, especially our fullbacks.
But that seems to be football in 2025, for Arsenal anyway…
Catch up in the comments.
Hi Rico. I read your article with interest. Fact is Martinelli is low on confidence, and his decision making is poor which has surely has nothing to do with instructions from the bench. Yes, he’s quick and is a grafter, but “rapid grafters” playing as left wingers are there to create chances or better still, score goals. (Saka, Salah,great examples). This tendency to hold onto the ball as far as the bye line then run out of space before crossing is utterly frustrating! If Arteta picks him ahead of Eze, Madueke or even Trossard, for next weekend’s game against Forest then I’m clearly missing something.
Hi Exuberant, yet he still plays for Brazil ahead of Rodrygo….
Morning Rico
No mention of Smith’s wonder goal for the ladies yesterday,any of our men would have been proud of that one .
Martinelli is staying at least for now so he needs some space as i am sure he has read or be told about all that is being said these past few weeks .
I believe the club were asking £60 million for him which they were not going to get, and it was muted Saudia Arabia were keen but he wants to keep in the Brazilian squad so don’t blame him.
Many reports saying Saliba is out for 3/4 weeks which isn’t good news is it ?
England last night was a hard watch though MLS and Madueke both played well but Eze was hardly involved .
Oh potter I keep forgetting that I believe we went to the same school ,me at Quintin and you a few years later as Quintin/Kynaston is that correct ?
I’m thrilled that we didn’t sign Rodrygo who sits on the bench for Real Madrid anyway. Also, there’s a marked difference between playing for Brazil against Columbia than playing for us against Liverpool in the Premier League. Szoboszlai isn’t even a full back, and he had his number against Liverpool!
I’m just hoping that we come out of this international break unscathed!
Morning Kelsey, no, it was pretty special though.
My point Exuberant is that going by the social media activity, fans wanted Rodrygo.
Me too, we have enough walking wounded already and the CL gets going after this break.
You’re absolutely correct about the social media noise. There was also a so-to-speak revolt by some fans when we signed Noni, but I think that he is an exciting prospect for us!
Agree re Noni, he looks good, especially on the right side.
Morning Rico and all.
I did not see the match but just wondering if the reason why Martinelli didn’t pass to Gyokeres, was because he is not used to someone running down to our forward line so quickly to pass the ball to.
Well it seems that Trossard is not leaving for pastures new, in fact he signed a new contract just last month.
Martinelli is being slated for not passing to Viktor G. I guess he was in two minds about passing or going for one of his signature near-post shots. Had he scored all would have been right with the World, as it is……
Kelsey I don’t know about Potter, but I was at Quintin School under headmaster Dr. Worsnop, before the move to St. John’s Wood. A cousin of mine was at the school before the war and his mother, my aunt, went with the school when Dr. Worsnop evacuated it to Minehead during the blitz. After the war it moved back to the Regents Street Polytechnic and the Pulteny School in Soho.
Contrasting reports on Martinelli from the Brazillian media mainly they said he was good and played with a freedom not seen in England . The odd video on X shows him taking on a full back cutting inside and shooting but he had space to run into , something our slow build up doesn’t give him.
Typically though he dragged his shot 6 inches wide of the near post , don’t know if that’s better or worse than hitting the keeper like he does here or whether the Brazil manager a certain Carlo Ancelotti has seen this as a weakness in his game.
Incidentally Kelsey , I was at Quintin from 1958 to 1962 , I never went on to 6th form .The then headmaster Mr Holt explained that education was like baking a cake which took time , should I leave before my time i would, like the cake removed from the oven be half baked but I had a job to go to that earned a little money..
I think I only got in because my brother was already there and because of my sporting ability , having already played for St Pancras at under 11 in both cricket and football and Mr Worsnop believed in sport. Really as my life has turned out , the grandson of a blacksmith, perhaps I should have gone next door to the technical school Kynaston as I have always managed to scheme around problems with my hands rather than my brain.
But that’s life I suppose. Anyway enough about me, hope I haven’t bored you all too much.
I was at Quintin the same time as you potter from 59 to 63 having been at Kynaston the first year after my 11+ and was borderline and got promotion if that is the right word in 1959 with Mr Holt as headmaster,and you would know the rest .I didn’t stay for A levels either.
Hart was the school football captain and I played left wing,as I was completely left footed .
Amazing that that three of us all went to the same school. Chris Green was my best friend ,Hughie Green’s son. Small world.
Oh Cicero you are older than both potter and myself.The school opened in 1956 off Finchley Road.
I still have photos of all the school football teams year by year.
Afternoon Geoff, I too think it’s more than just Martinelli struggling to adjust. The whole team is imo and it’s hardly surprising as they’ve been playing without a proper striker for a number of years.
Well said Cicero.
8 new players is a hello of a lot and even though half were already playing in the PL it takes time to bed in and I am still not sure if our play can be adjusted quickly to get the best of our new number 9.
It’s a big ask for Arteta this season and I still keep thinking Berta is his immediate boss and has told him that he has now given him all the tools so go and win something though it’s not quite that easy
.3 games in and the injuries have already piled up so we don’t yet know the best team to fit the occasion. Saliba being out for 3/4 weeks is a big blow mainly because he has such a good understanding with Gabriel though Mosquera looked pretty impressive at Anfield. .
Afternoon boys, did you have a tuck shop?
Root 100, Bethel 110, Archer with some wickets, smashing the springboks, a bit late in the day but always enjoyable.
We did Kev, in the Pulteney school in Peter Street it was in the undercroft sort of open cellars. I’d be interested to know if the old building is still there.
No tuck shop at Quintin just revolting warm milk at morning break
No time for eating at break time , too much football to play ..
Would love to see the photos Kelsey , we might know a few of the players.
We did too Kev, a small bottle of milk too. Happy days..
And a few dropped catches in there too. SA were lucky to reach 50.
Archers pace and line was incredible.