Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli is on a mission to bring a little more ruthlessness to his game.
The Brazilian forward, known for his unselfish play, is actively trying to develop a more goal-hungry mindset, even receiving encouragement from teammates to be more assertive on the ball.
Martinelli’s unselfish nature
In a recent interview with TNT Sports Brasil, Gabriel Martinelli spoke candidly about his playing style: “Well, Aaron [Ramsdale] and Jorginho said that to me in the Burnley game, even against Porto: ‘Hey, sometimes you’re too nice to the team, you want to pass’. I say if I see a player in a better position, I try to pass. Because if I was in that position, I’d want the ball.”
While his team-first mentality is admirable, Martinelli recognises the potential for greater impact: “So I think that sometimes I can be a bit more greedy, but that’s up to each individual. And sometimes on the pitch, it’s very fast, if you think about two things, you get confused and end up doing neither. So I think that maybe I can be a bit more greedy for myself, sometimes scoring more goals. But I think for now I’m doing what I think is right on the pitch and for now, it’s working.”
Arteta’s influence
Martinelli also spoke highly of his relationship with Mikel Arteta, describing the manager’s ability to find solutions to any problem the team faces. The Brazilian also revealed a fun quirk of having three players named “Gabriel” on the squad: a little confusion when Arteta gives instructions on the pitch! “[…] sometimes he [Arteta] says ‘close up’, I don’t know if it’s me or Gabi, so if he says close up, we both close up. Sometimes it gets confusing, but most of the time we get it right. Sometimes he says Jesus, but I think most of the time everyone in the club says Gabi. Only Magalhães they say Big Gabi.”
Arsenal injury news updates:
- Martinelli injury update: Gabriel Martinelli’s foot injury will be assessed ahead of the weekend’s match.
- Saka set for Brentford clash: Good news for Arsenal fans, as Bukayo Saka is expected to recover from his illness and be available for Saturday’s match against Brentford.
- Tomiyasu return imminent: Mikel Arteta shared positive news on Takehiro Tomiyasu’s recovery, suggesting he could be back to full training soon.