Gabriel Martinelli is Arsenal’s live wire and Slavia Prague is his stage

Mikel Arteta finally has fulfilled the wishes of Arsenal supporters by giving Gabriel Martinelli a spot in the starting 11 against Sheffield United in a resounding 3-0 win. Not only was the manager awarded with a win and a clean sheet, the Brazilian prodigy sniffed his way into scoring a goal.

After a dazzling Nicolas Pepe run and left-footed shot that resulted in an Aaron Ramsdale save, Gabriel Martinelli found himself in an easy position to score a tap in and double the Gunners’ lead in the 70th minute.

Although this wasn’t the most spectacular goal, it spoke volumes about Martinelli’s engine and desire to get into a scoring position. He has an instinct for goals, which was why he was in the perfect position to finish off the second effort.

The 19 year-old has been sidelined for most of his young career with injuries, only giving fans glimpses of his true potential. The Bramall Lane sitter was a big goal for Martinelli, who hasn’t appeared on the score sheet since last year’s goal of the season for Arsenal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1381338964150341632

Gabriel Martinelli is Arsenal’s live-wire and Slavia Prague should be his stage for the Europa League quarter-final

His performance on Sunday was much bigger than just scoring, as he was the spark plug for the Arsenal squad and was one of the main attacking threats on offense. He has showed Arteta his hand, giving no choice but to play him on Thursday against Slavia Prague for the second leg. Such energy is invaluable in side often found laboring.

Gabriel Martinelli is relentless in his hustle, constantly working on and off the ball. A true workhorse, the forward makes dashing runs that occupy defenders, crafting opportunities for other Arsenal players to create. He is direct with the ball, relentlessly driving at opponents and conjuring up his own space to get his shot on goal – he now has more shots on target in the Premier League than Willian has all season. Really.

The Brazilian’s effort does not stop with just offense, he is a menace tracking back and winning the ball, using his strength to wrestle possession and challenging in every aerial duel. Extreme physicality is used to his, and Arsenal’s, advantage at both ends of the field.

He was solid in every aspect of the game against the Blades, showcasing his superstar abilities despite his young age and inexperience in the Premier League. All of which he produced without being completely 100% healthy, even finishing the game hobbling off the pitch when subbed.

Matinelli gets knocked down one minute during the game, and gets right back up by scoring a goal. He is a player who deserves to wear the jersey. His energy is contagious and he makes the players around him better. This, above all, is one of the sport’s most valuable assets.

With Kieran Tierney out for the rest of the season and Bukayo Saka being questionable for the Thursday’s quarter-final affair, Arteta needs to play Martinelli in the biggest game of the season. If he gives him another chance like he did today against the Blades, the wonderkid will not disappoint.