Gabriel Martinelli made his Champions League debut last night in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Sevilla, and marked the occasion with a sensational goal late in the first half.
The 22 year old rounded goalkeeper Orjan Nyland after racing from deep inside the Gunners’ half to get on the end of a brilliant Gabriel Jesus pass – one which he made after controlling a ball from Gabriel Magalhaes before turning two defenders inside-out.
Speaking to the official site afterwards, he acknowledged the triple-Gabi connection, saying, ” I think big Gabi made the clearance to the other Gabi and then Gabi was amazing with a nice skill and played to me through!
“I just waited for the keeper and looked at him and I thought I couldn’t miss it again. It was good that I scored and as I said, I’m so happy with the performance of the team.”
Jesus bagged Arsenal’s second, and Martinelli was full of praise for his teammate’s quality, and the influence he’s had on his own game.
“He’s a big player.” he said. He has played World Cup, Champions League and big games in his career, and he helps us a lot.
“I talk for myself, he helps me a lot, talks to me and today he was important for the team and for me as well because he gave me an assist.”
“There is, unfortunately, a frequency to these errors that is concerning. For a keeper ‘famed’ for his passing ability, there have been too many of these in his short time at the club”
Blog’s words, so don’t be thumbing me down too quick!
Then there was the dodgy punch. Please don’t tell me Ramsdale would have made any more errors than Raya in his last 5 games.
Just sad that Arteta is being so pig headed about this.
objection: irrelevant
Why Arteta brought 2 reserve goalies?
Because the champions league allows for 2
Because the Champions League REQUIRES two.
Well ackshoeallee…
Sustained. However this is an ongoing investigation and we’ll see you in court very soon
I might be wrong, but I think the reason Raya is picked over Ramsdale is his persistence in attempting to make a pass. He makes a lot of mistakes, but he’s brave enough (one could say careless?) to try and make that pass again. Arteta has repeated over and over again that he’s not going to bench anyone for mistakes and I think Raya’s courage is rewarded here. As much as I love Aaron, he did occasionally crack under pressure and launched the ball without thinking and, as Blogs once said, he’s probably benched for “going rouge”. I’m not saying… Read more »
I get this point, but then again – at least watching last two games – Raya also often simply hoofed the ball under pressure (understandable), which led to loss of posession.
So he’s doing the very same thing that is said to be the reason behind Ramsdale’s benching. And that’s the part I have problems understanding.
The dates don’t agree with that including this season. I’m the EPL his pass completion is 78%, 47%, and his launch completion is at career high 45%. Ramsdale doesn’t even come close to any of those numbers, not in any season.
Data*
Yeah you’re right. Ramsdale was terrible. Sell him now.
Sigh.
I’ve seen the data and I’d say in Raya’s first 5 games he passed the eye test mostly too.
Over the last two games, it seems to me he resorted to (unsuccessful) long passes under pressure and I would like to see if the data for these games tell otherwise
(I believe the data we both reference are from his first 6 games, so including Chelsea, excluding Sevilla)
Raya’s launch completion % (45%) is the best in his career (and he’s been excellent at it across his career). Against Chelsea he attempted 13 launches (right at his season average) completing 4 (31%). Against City he went long more, 22 times completing an excellent 10 of those (46%). He’s doing what he’s done throughout his career in terms of distribution. Arteta is asking more of him that he did of Ramsdale because he knows Raya is better on the ball. As I said elsewhere, if Arteta asked Ramsdale to do the same when he was/is in goal, past data… Read more »
Please, where are your pulling the data from?
Im not questioning it, I’m genuinely asking.
https://fbref.com/en/players/98ea5115/David-Raya
Thank you! Gave it a look and see that Raya’s seasonal completion average of passes launched is 42.6 %, whereas in the last two games (the sample I was interested in) it was 30.8 % (Chelsea) and 25 % (Sevilla). Ramsdale’s seasonal average is 33 %.
So I believe it was OK to say it felt like Raya hoofing the ball over the last two games led to loss of possesion more often than before since data support it.
I was looking at the league games. He played the ball long more against City than either of those games (10/22 against City; 4/13 Chelsea; 4/16 Sevilla). Even in those three games (only two are above his season average of launches) he’s a 35% launch completion (above Ramsdales average). Launch completion in EPL is 45%, 39% in champions league. Again, that’s better than any year in Ramsdales career – whether you use 32% from 20/21 or 33% from this season.
I never debated or questioned the overall numbers.
In all of the comments above, I simply pointed out it felt like Raya’s long balls over the last two games (Chelsea, Sevilla) led to loss of possession more often than before. The feeling was eventually supported by data. That’s it.
Exactly. Why is that so hard for you thumbing down Gooners to understand?
Not disagreeing with everything but it’s words like ‘occasional’ that piss me off. Playing passes from the back, errors etc. there is no clear improvement in our keeper situation. It’s about favouritism.
The keeper situation is different, it’s open to interpretation whether there’s an improvement but clearly the manager thinks there’s improvement or he wouldn’t be playing him. We are winning games and learning how to control games better rather than Bournmouthing it a la Nelson to win games. Arteta has his areas he needs improvement, subs and better understanding of game state. Both the squad and manager are learning, but it’s not necessary to join the pundits and beat him with the Ramsdale stick.
Goodness me, please don’t say I’m joining the likes of rat face Neville. So essentially what you’re saying and all other blinkered Gooners is that I’m not allowed to love and agree with Arteta 90% of the time and disagree with him 10% of the time?
I also agree about the interpretation about the keepers, however Arteta made it very clear that it also included them. This was a lie.
Post is our three Gabis, not Raya…
They’ll downvote you all the same😂….Lots of delusions… he’s more error prone than Ramsdale at the moment,not a better shot stopper and for all his famed passing ability,we’ve not exactly controlled matches like last season…..maybe we’ll see what Mikel is trying to do…or maybe not!
Ahh the blinkered downvotes. 🤣
A bit of self reflection might help you understand the downvotes.
Ohhh. Just stating the facts including what the manager himself said about the situation? Oh ok.
I presume blogs also needs some self reflection by just stating the truth about Raya since the manager put him in?
The truth? You mean 81% pass completion, 27% launched passes, 45% launch completion this season in the EPL. Ramsdale this season: 81%, 27%, 33%. In 2022/23, these same numbers were (respectively): Raya 64%, 51%, 39% Ramsdale: 68%, 35%, 25%. https://fbref.com/en/stathead/player_comparison.cgi?request=1&sum=0&dom_lg=1&player_id1=98ea5115&p1yrfrom=2023-2024&player_id2=466fb2c5&p2yrfrom=2023-2024 Go back further it’s the same. There is no question Raya is the better distributor. Arteta is asking him to play this style, it is risky. Any criticism of Raya is really criticism of Raya is really criticism of the system Arteta is playing with him. Because if he asked Ramsdale to play the same system, there would be more… Read more »
I repeat the mighty blogs:
“There is, unfortunately, a frequency to these errors that is concerning. For a keeper ‘famed’ for his passing ability, there have been too many of these in his short time at the club”
You’re missing the point. The data on both players (and every single GK in the world) shows that if you employ a risky passing strategy errors will happen. Raya’s distribution data is NOT lower than at any point in his career (arguably higher in some areas). Thus, Arteta is assuming this level of risk (passing errors) because of it’s potential benefit – totally fair if you don’t agree with that (but that is Arteta’s call more than Raya’s mistakes). He didn’t challenge Ramsdale with the same level of risk, because his distribution isn’t as good. If he did, the data… Read more »
The data is very difficult to interpret unless it is comparable. For instance we can compare raya hitting long balls to Ivan Toney (who will be hit due to Toney excelling at that skill) to Ramsdale’s stats at hitting our striker last season (who for a long period was Eddie as GJ was injured). So the stats may say Raya was a better passer as he hit To et with ease – but it doesn’t tell the whole storey. That said I think we signed raya and play him because GJ is Toney type level of collecting a long ball… Read more »
Raya’s launch completion % is higher this season than last season.
Again, is that because he has more favourable conditions with who he can hit due to being a team that dominates play more than Brentford? I’m not pro either keeper I’d rather the best option for the team – but stats need to be discerned. I commented previously that arsenal need to sign a striker that can take advantage of how accurate Ramsdale’s distribution is as he is very accurate but his long passes just bounce off auba and laca – now we have GJ and KH who can both collect long balls with aplomb – and we have two… Read more »
Agree with your statement saying Ramsdale will be our long term option. Would have liked Arteta to have rotated them more in the different competitions. Think Ramsdale fell off the pace towards the end of the season during the run in so understand why Arteta took the punt on a loan. As long as we are winning and the managers dalliance w Raya isn’t costing us points, I’m not that concerned.
With outmost respect for the time and effort put on/for the work/creation of this space and blog but mate …the Owner is a media/i.t expert type guy who loves Arsenal – managed to combine the two and voila! That does not mean his opinions on football matters are 100% correct or valid. Hell ive had a go at him when he was joining the aftv bandwagon of ‘vengah aht’. I found it classless and unbefitting of the great man’s contribution to our football club. Hell id even go one further and say had it not been for Wenger and the… Read more »
Sorry you get down votes from me for the way you comport yourself. Not necessarily your argument, but the way you push it and how you characterise others as “blinkered”, “thumbing down Gooners”, etc.
Fair enough.
This post is about Gabi³! This obsession with Raya is not healthy. Ramsdale has no divine right to play. Allow the manager pick his team in peace.
We are supporters, who support this club through the bleak times (Rioch, Emri…) and the great times. We have a right to voice our opinions.
If you read the sensible pro Ramsdale comments you’ll see we’ve never said he has a divine right to play. We’re just calling out the nonsense the manager has spouted on this issue.
“Pro Ramsdale” is as wrong as it sounds!
Yeah it’s really unusual for supporters to be more pro some players than others. Certainly ok for the manager.
One day you will have to accept that he lost the 2020 election.
Never!!! 🤣
I watched the replay to see where Gabi11 was at the moment that Gabi6 cleared the ball. He was inside his own penalty area! Gabi9’s trickery was prompted by the fact that he saw Gabi11’s sprint and knew it was now or never. Gabi11 is so fast that he was pulling away from the defenders, and even when he slowed down a bit to get the ball under control, they didn’t make up ground on him.
Spot on! I think he should have dribbled the keeper in that first attempt as well. He does it every game with defenders up there.
Jesus skill and assist was superb, something unique in the team.
And Martinelli’s goal reminded me of what how he trashed Chelsea and Villa before.
I dare say that is trade mark run! Chelsea goal. The other was the long througg pass from MO. There was another where he started celebrating bwfore it went. I think he’s our most potent weapon when we defending as an attacking outlet. I don’t seem to recall anyone currently doing this
I want nobody else than Gabi11 as our CF next season not even Gabi9.
What profile of striker do you see Martinelli taking, for me he is the definition of a wide forward. He doesn’t have the physical profile of a number 9.
Beautiful moment, beautiful stadium, beautiful atmosphere, beautiful kit, beautiful counter attack, beatiful assist, beautiful finish, even the way it rolled into the net. I even love the block font on the number 11 on his back as he wheels away. I’ll be rewinding that goal for a long time. ❤️
It’s like that movie scene where countless copies of the three Gabi’s are at a dinner party conversing with each other using just the word “Gabi”
“Gabi gabi gabi gabi gabi? Gabi gabi, gabi gabi gabi…”
I thought you were going to do an Agent Smith reference there. You made me laugh even though I have no idea what you’re talking about!
I think it’s a Being John Malkovic reference. Very funny too 😄
Being John Malkovich
Oh, fair enough. I hated that movie, so no wonder I don’t remember anything from it.
I don’t often downvote people but I just made an exception
In the Marvel world it’s “I am Gabi”
Et tu, Gabi?
“…one Gabi at the back, two Gabis in attack…”
I’ve been singing ‘a Gabi at the back, a Gabi in attack’ since last season when it was obvious Tierney wasn’t playing much.
Our Gabis are awesome, love all of them.
an example of what the team will get after winning the league.
https://denvergazette.com/sports/denver-nuggets/denver-nuggets-unveil-nba-championship-rings-on-opening-night/article_66b8bb30-72d3-11ee-ae2c-2fc470cfe9f7.html#tncms-source=article-nav-next
the top slides to display a Bennet
Banner.
I think, even with American owners, you get a medal, not a ring.
One Gabriel, two Gabriel, three Gabriel, four…if we could breed Gabi’s we get us 8 more.
Don’t get knocked down on your way out the door…
In the name of Big Gabi the Father, Gabi the Son, and Gabi the Spirit. Amen
Gabi the sprint, obviously
Acuna visited me in my dreams as Quasimodo. He kept kicking Saka as I watched saying “te gusts? Te gusta?” In the dream his neck was even less visible than IRL
Did he act like you murdered his mother when you responded with “Falta, y no me gusta” when you finally called him out after the 20th time he kicked Bak?
you know quasimodo predicted all of this
I just hope Arteta buys another Gabriel for GK to both add to our stock of Gabriels and throw oil on the goalkeeping debate!
Haha I’m with you Chris. The GK debate gets so boring, especially on a post celebrating our wonderful Gabi’s.