Gabriel Martinelli says he’s lucky to be able to play alongside Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka every week and that the trio are constantly discussing how they can make life difficult for their opponents.
So far this season, Mikel Arteta has been able to field his favoured attacking trio in every single Premier League match and that stability is paying dividends. With five goals each and 13 assists between them, you could argue they are currently the most complete frontline in England.
Last week, Jesus, the elder statesman, lauded the 21-year-olds as ‘machines’. Facing the media ahead of Arsenal’s clash with FC Zurich, Martinelli returned the compliment.
“I think it’s because of him [Jesus]. He makes our job a lot easier. He always tries to give advice to us, he’s still [only] 25 but he’s an experienced player, a very good guy and one of the captains as well. Everyone knows how much he brings to the team, everyone loves him.”
He added: “I think when you play with good players, it’s easy. I look to him [Jesus] and he’s always moving, I look to Bukayo and he’s always willing to play as well so it becomes easier to adapt.
“If sometimes, you can see in the games, he goes wide and I go central. In the goal that I scored against Forest, I was wide, I got the ball played it to Bukayo, he was wide and went to the wing and I went inside the box.
“Everyone can see when we change our positions. We like to do it, we always talk about it because we say that we are players that like to move and rotate and this is good. It’s hard for the defenders to mark us and we need to keep doing it.
“When you play with good players they make you better. I’m lucky to play with Jesus and and him. Everyone in the team is trying their best and that’s why we are doing well.”
While Martinelli confirmed he had set himself a target for goals and assists this season, he wouldn’t share the figures he’s targeting.
“I’m doing well, I hope at the end of the season I reach these numbers,” he joked.
“Score more goals and more assists. If I can do it, I will be very happy and will help the team more. I am confident, the whole team gives me this confidence as well. Sometimes I just need to be calm to take the decisions. I need to score more goals and give more assists.”
Good and positive. Given his attitude towards the club and his teammates, I wonder if we’ll see him put pen to (contract) paper before the WC break? It would certainly be a timely boost for the club and supporters if he did and, hopefully, encourage Saliba and Saka to do likewise.
What’s really scary is that these young lads are all absolute mentality monsters. So mature. So drama free. So humble and hardworking.
If they all stay, we are going to have 8 or 9 captains out on the field every game.
Yes, that’s a good point. I’m not sure whether we’re just lucky with ours or whether the generation of young players coming through are (in the main) like that nowadays.
Almost like someone recruits and demands a type of team player…
I remember when Emery first started playing him he had a few games where he played as a center forward in the league cup and Europe League. Those games he absolutely terrorized the opponent and scored a couple of headers. He did score a header against Forest too. Hopefully he can get in the box more when we have the ball on the right with Saka and Ben White.
“You could argue they are currently the most complete frontline in England.”
Yes, you really could. Also–incredibly–Partey/Xhaka/Odegaard look like the most complete midfield in the league as well. And have you watched Saliba? The truth is that our first eleven are among the best in Europe. It’s been a while since I thought something like that. Not yet deep enough, and young players will make mistakes, but I am incredibly optimistic.
Weldone boys.
We all appreciate your commitments