Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has urged Gabriel Martinelli to step up and finally show he’s good enough for such a big club.
Petit is clearly frustrated with Martinelli, suggesting the Brazilian forward still hasn’t quite shown that he’s consistent enough for the demands of playing for an ambitious club like Arsenal.
The Gunners have made huge progress under Mikel Arteta, and at one point it looked like Martinelli would be a key part of the team’s success.
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The 23-year-old is still young enough to improve and turn his career around, but one imagines that he’s soon going to find that he needs to get back to his best quickly or he’s going to be replaced.
“Look at the quality Liverpool have up-front – it’s amazing. It’s amazing how many great players they have in that area. Then, look at Arsenal; if one or two players are missing, then it’s not the same team anymore. For me, this is the main difference,” Petit said to Ladbrokes for the launch of “Gaffer of all Accas”.
“Saka being out for a few weeks is a huge blow – but other players now need to come in, step up, and take on the responsibility. I’ve been waiting for some players to reach a level, and I’m quite frustrated, to be honest, actually. I’m still waiting for them to reach the next level. I’m thinking about Gabriel Martinelli, for example. I’m not happy with Martinelli. He had a good game against Crystal Palace a few days ago, but that’s not enough.
“When you look at his journey, and how he started in the first-team, around the same time as Saka… when you look at how Saka has improved, year after year, and has become one of the best players in the Premier League, I’m thinking ‘when is that going to come from Martinelli?’
“The transfer market is opening soon, and I know that it’s hard to spot good opportunities at this time of the year, but they need to strengthen the team. Definitely. I’ve been saying it for the last couple of years. What Mikel Arteta has done up to this point has been very good, but now they’re at the limit of it. That means they need to bring in fresh blood, different quality, different options, and new energy.”
He added: “Honestly, do you think Martinelli would get into that Liverpool team? No. So how do you compete with that?
“Rise up your level. You know, you’ve been at the club for years now. You have the chance to play for one of the best clubs in Europe. Take your responsibility. Or, if you’re not good enough, then the club has to make a decision on you at the end of the season.
“I’m sorry to say that, but I’m tired, and fed up, of seeing some of these guys signing contract extensions, for four or five years. On what? Based on what? You’re playing for Arsenal – you’re not playing for a mid-table team, you know? That means your expectation has to rise up. Your mentality, everything, you have to bring more. And if you can’t, then that means – for me – you don’t have the talent to stay at Arsenal. I’m sorry to say that.
“We have seen his quality in patches, but it’s not enough. He is still young, and he can recover quickly, so playing so regularly is not an issue for him. Come on; you have to show more on the pitch.”
Most Arsenal fans will probably agree that the club needs to see more from Martinelli, with the youngster capable of contributing more in the way of goals and assists than he is at the moment.
Martinelli notably scored 15 goals in 46 games in all competitions in 2022/23, but has only 13 goals in the 68 games he’s played since then.
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