Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal: Grading the 2019 summer signings

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 24: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal celebrates scoring the fifth goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium on September 24, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 24: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal celebrates scoring the fifth goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium on September 24, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Gabriel Martinelli
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 21: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal scores his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on January 21, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /

Gabriel Martinelli – A+++

What more can be said about signing a teenager from the depths of Brazilian football who proceeds to take the preseason by storm, race into second place in the club’s scoring charts, and lead Jurgen Klopp, David Luiz and others to say that he is one of the most talented young footballers in the world?

That is what Arsenal unearthed when they signed Gabriel Martinelli in the summer. No one could have possibly imagined what they were getting in the whippet-snapping, goal-getting sensation, but his performances have been nothing short of phenomenal. And all that age of 18 and for £6 million.

On the season, Martinelli has 10 goals and four assists in 1,463 first-team minutes. He has braces against Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Standard Liege, scored an outrageous solo goal against Chelsea when Arsenal hung after David Luiz’s early sending off, and has established himself as a crucial part of Mikel Arteta’s future. Martinelli has been outrageous. When all is said and done, he might be the club’s greatest-ever signing. To grade him anything less than perfect, then, would be sacrilegious.

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