Gabriel Martinelli’s Top Arsenal Goals – Ranked

Positive news on the injury front.

After seven months on the sidelines, Gabriel Martinelli has revealed that he’ll be back training with a ball “soon”. Having been out since the beginning of March, it feels like an eternity since we last saw the 19-year-old play for Arsenal.

The reason it feels even longer is because he was so spellbindingly good that his absence left a larger than expected impression. While the team would go on to achieve success nevertheless, the freakishly talented forward has accrued such a following that his eventual return will be welcomed with open arms from all.

There is a chance he could be out on the pitch again before the end of the year, but at his age and with the injury he sustained, that date is perhaps a tad ambitious. All those who were harking for another forward in the window had forgotten the firepower this Arsenal side have.

For Martinelli, ten goals and four assists in just 26 outings was an impeccable return for someone his age who had made such a drastic change in scenery – those 14 involvements including some memorable moments.

As we twiddle our thumbs in wait for club football, and Martinelli, to return, here are his five best to date in red and white. If you’d like to skip number one then feel free, as we all know exactly which one it is.

5. West Ham 1-3 Arsenal

Freddie Ljungberg is a true Arsenal hero. Him taking over the reins last season with the side plummeted deep in the mire was never going to be an easy task, and the results reflected that. However, that Premier League victory at West Ham – one that ended a horrendous nine-match winless run – was be a moment to savour.

The points were sealed in a superb nine-minute second half spell, but were kicked off by Martinelli’s 60th minute goal.

A clever dummy run infield opened up the space for Sead Kolasinac to receive possession down the left flank. The ball to Martinelli was weighted well, but he still had to open his body up accordingly and read the goalkeeper’s position in order to pick his spot. That calm finish instigated the eventual comeback win.

4. Arsenal 5-0 Nottingham Forest (1st)

A first start for our summer signing and the first of two goals on the night. Nottingham Forest were, admittedly, very poor, but there was nothing even remotely sub-par about the Brazilian’s strike.

Joe Willock’s dinked ball found Calum Chambers on the right hand side of the penalty box, and instead of controlling the pass, he opted to hit it first time in front of the six-yard box.

With pace on the delivery, Martinelli angled his body accordingly with the appropriate shape so that he could simply guide it into the top corner with his head. The run he made in between the centre-halves was good enough, but how he manipulated the flight of the ball was an early indicator that he had talent in abundance.

3. Arsenal 4-0 Standard Liege (2nd)

This young Arsenal side put their Belgian visitors to the sword straight from the off in this Europa League group stage class, blowing them away inside a superb opening 22-minute spell.

Martinelli – on just his second start for the club – was key to that with a brace of wonderfully taken goals; his second on the night showcasing remarkable technical ability and pure instinct. Reiss Nelson had whipped a low ball in at pace into the box, with Martinelli just pinching the ball in front of the outstretched defender.

With the angle blocked on his left foot, a sumptuous drag of the ball on the outside of his right foot was measured to the millimetre, putting it precisely in a position of danger. Yet even still, it required a bending finish that took advantage of the positioning of the opposition to catch the goalkeeper off-guard.

Across goal and into the side netting, it couldn’t have been placed better. All in the blink of an eye.

2. Arsenal 4-0 Standard Liege (1st)

This header.

We can wax lyrical about technique until the cows come home, but the difficulty of the header he pulled off to open the scoring against Liege was exceptional. Fooling the centre-half with a dummy run on his inside, he takes up a position on the corner edge of the six-yard box.

Facing the byline, whatever the delivery is you’re in an almost impossible position to score first time. Yet this is what Martinelli asked of Kieran Tierney, who whipped in a cross – a tad too low, it initially appeared – for the 19-year-old to head on.

From that angle, to essentially scoop a header over the keeper and into the far corner relies on absolute precision. Even then you’ll likely struggle to beat the man in the sticks.

Getting his effort across goal and into the opposing side netting was quite some feat.

1. Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal

It could only be, right?

Take a gander across social media and swarms of opposing fan groups will batter this goal to death. I’ll confess it’s been shown perhaps touch too much, but given the guts and determination the whole team showed in that performance to secure a draw when down to ten-men (and behind twice), it’s naturally going to get some coverage.

And so too is Martinelli’s goal. Ignore N’Golo Kante’s slip. Forget it happened. Remove that element and it is still one of the most composed pieces of play you’ll see from a youngster who was only 18 at the time. Racing from one end of the pitch to the other with such pace, the calmness he showed to then tuck away a sublime finish under that weight of pressure was majestic. With so much time to think about what he was going to do, to slot it beyond Kepa as he did was special.

Coming at a difficult time in Arsenal’s season, with the odds stacked firmly against them and at a stadium that has not been a happy hunting ground in recent years, it remains one of the highlights of the season. Even if the game ended 2-2.

What about the celebration? Coolness personified to stand there undeterred by what he’d just done. He told his mother he was going to stand there motionless if he scored, and he followed through. That confidence filters through into his game. What’s your favourite Martinelli moment (barring the obvious)?