Gabriel Martinelli has scored only one Premier League goal this season but it could be the most important in Arsenal’s quest to life the title for the first time in 22 years. In the cups, it is a completely different story for the Brazilian.
It may have been just game week 5 and Liverpool were then league leaders, but the forward’s brilliant late equaliser at home to Manchester City felt important at the time. And even more so now.
If the Gunners finish ahead of Pep Guardiola’s by three or fewer points, it will be one of the moments pointed to as pivotal in the nine-month race.
However, either side of that 21st September match, Martinelli has been near-exclusively a cup player. At least in terms of goals. There were assists in the league wins over Leeds and Sunderland.
In this article we’ll cover:
Joining Arsenal royalty in double digits
Martinelli’s strike in the 4-0 rout of Wigan at the Emirates on Sunday was his fourth in the FA Cup, adding to the hat-trick he scored in the third-round win at Portsmouth.
Added to the six he has from just seven Champions League games (four starts), it means the 24-year-old is the first Arsenal player since Ian Wright in 1994/95 (12) to hit double figures in cup competitions in one season.
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It is a very impressive stat when you consider Thierry Henry’s best return was nine. Albeit the club’s all-time top scorer was often not used in the early stages of the FA Cup or at all in the League Cup.
That is the reverse situation for Martinelli, who has found most of his minutes in the cups this season. Strangely given Arsenal are in the League Cup final, he has not netted in that competition.
Of the 20 appearance the forward has made in the league so far, only seven have come from the start. He has also played 70 or more minutes just once and that came back in August.
While there is consistent rotation in Arsenal’s frontline for myriad reasons, notably form and injury, Martinelli has started fewer games than Noni Madueke, who has missed just under two months with a knee injury. More worryingly, he has less than half the starts of Leandro Trossard.
The odd man out in the league
The Belgian winger was signed in January 2023 as a squad option with Martinelli and Bukayo Saka very much nailed on as Mikel Arteta’s first-choice wide men.
A lot has changed since with Trossard stepping up with several clutch goals for the Gunners and Martinelli’s league goals returns dwindling since that 2022/23 peak.
In the season where Arsenal established themselves as a top side once more, the Brazilian was instrumental, finishing as their joint-top scorer in the league alongside Martin Odegaard.
His total of 15 goals from that campaign is the same number he has in the two and nearly three quarters seasons since.
The late, late miss at Brentford on Thursday summed up his woes in front of goal in the league. There was no need to take a touch with Caoimhin Kelleher rushing out.
Chance to kick on against Wolves
It was another moment from Martinelli that had Arsenal fans tearing their hair out. He is a player who continues to divide opinion and it’s easy to see why.
He has a relatively high ceiling but a bunker level floor. It is a similar story with several of his fellow forwards in North London.
With so many games likely left in both the FA Cup and Champions League, it feels probable Martinelli will surpass Wright. But the iconic striker also scored 18 in the league that season.
If Arsenal are to end their long wait to lift the title, they will need more league goals from their forwards. The midweek trip to Wolves offers a great chance for them to pick up where they left off against Wigan. And Martinelli in particular. That is if he is handed a rare league start.