New stat emphasises Arsenal star's unusual scoring form

Gabriel Martinelli has become the first player to score 10+ goals in a single season for Arsenal outside of the Premier League since 1994/95, as his unusual goalscoring campaign continues.

Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Arsenal and Wigan Athletic on February 15, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images) — Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Gabriel Martinelli scored Arsenal’s second goal against Wigan Athletic on Sunday afternoon, helping the team to a 4-0 win and a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup. It was Martinelli’s fourth goal in the competition, as he scored a hat-trick against Portsmouth in the previous round.

Add to that Martinelli’s six goals in seven Champions League appearances this season, and he’s now into double figures for goals outside of the Premier League.

OptaJoe reports that it’s the first time an Arsenal player has scored 10 or more goals in cup/European competitions in a single season for Arsenal since Ian Wright’s 12 goals in 1994/95. Yet that form hasn’t really translated to the Premier League campaign.

Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammates Christian Norgaard and Bukayo Saka during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Arsenal and Wigan Athletic on February 15, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images) — Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images

When Wright scored 12 goals in the Cup Winners’ Cup and the League Cup in 1994/95, he accompanied that form with another 18 goals in 31 Premier League appearances.

By contrast, though Martinelli has 10 goals in 13 non-Premier League games, he only has one goal in 20 Premier League appearances.

The Brazilian’s league form has generally been a little better lately, as he provided good assists against Leeds United and Sunderland. But he also earned criticism after delaying his shot and failing to score last time out against Brentford.

PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Portsmouth and Arsenal at Fratton Park on January 11, 2026 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) — Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

It’s worth pointing out that Martinelli doesn’t start in the league as often as he does in the cups. He’s only made seven league starts this season, but nine in the other competitions.

Even so, the comparison of minutes played only has Martinelli playing 188 minutes more in the Champions League, League Cup, and FA Cup combined than he has in the Premier League, the equivalent of a little more than two matches.

That’s not enough to explain a goal difference of 10 to one, so Martinelli does need to find his scoring boots in the Premier League.

As for the other competitions, the 24-year-old just needs to keep doing what he’s doing and hopefully pick up some trophies later this year.

New stat emphasises Arsenal star’s unusual scoring form

Gabriel Martinelli has become the first player to score 10+ goals in a single season for Arsenal outside of the Premier League since 1994/95, as his unusual goalscoring campaign continues.