Throughout the summer transfer window, Arsenal fans were clamouring for the 24-year-old to be sold and an upgrade to be signed. Nico Williams and Rodrygo were just two names doing the rounds on social media.
Instead, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze were brought in, although neither should be considered natural left wingers, leaving a small glimmer of hope for Martinelli and his ambition of becoming a key player for the North London club.
Since then, Martinelli has scored three goals and provided one assist in his eight appearances across all competitions, mostly off the bench. So, have Arsenal and Mikel Arteta found the best way to utilise him?
Mikel Arteta has gone more direct
This season has seen a noticeable tactical shift from Arteta. His football hasn’t been particularly expansive for some time, but the criticism has intensified, with pundits accusing him of playing “with the handbrake on.”
Arteta’s blueprint is pretty clear. He wants Arsenal to play well organised, structured football with high intensity pressing that requires remarkable positional awareness from the players at his disposal.
In possession they transition into various attacking shapes, notably a 2-3-5 formation using fluid full-back movement, triangles, and half-space play to progress the ball and create goal-scoring opportunities.
Defensively, they use compact formations and triggers, like backward passes, to initiate a high press, aiming to win the ball back quickly and maintain control.
He’s also more adaptable that one might think, willing to sit back at let other sides have the ball and hit them on the counter, something that we’ve seen a bit of in their two games against Man City and Liverpool in particular.
In those games he was accused of playing for draws, and that he needs to realise that Arsenal are no longer the underdogs in these games and have a squad capable of going toe-to-toe with the best in England and Europe.
Where does Gabriel Martinelli fit into all of this?
The Brazilian’s best moments so far have come off the bench, scoring and providing an assist in the 2-0 Champions League win over Athletic Club, and then bagging the equaliser in the 1-1 home draw with Man City.
Let’s look at his goal in the Athletic Club win. The opposition goalkeeper pumps the ball up, Arsenal win the header, and Martinelli uses his electric pace to beat the defenders, take the ball under control and slot it into the goal in a matter of seconds.
His assist doesn’t come from a counterattack, but he uses his impressive close control and pace once again to wriggle past two defenders and tee up fellow maligned winger Leandro Trossard to secure all three points.
It was a similar story against City. Arsenal dominated the ball, ending the game with 65% possession but their only real threats were coming from the counter. Martinelli was brought on to replace Jurrien Timber for the final ten minutes of the game, and the rest is history.
Another long ball, this time from Eze, found Martinelli just after City lost the ball and were starting to retreat. The Brazilian timed his run perfectly before seeing that Gianluigi Donnarumma was well off his line and lobbing him.
Verdict
Simply put, he has been a lot more clinical so far this season. Bringing Martinelli off the bench has given Arteta the chance to utilise his best assets against tired legs, with the tactical shift to a more direct style allowing him to be more effective on the counter.
Martinelli was never the type of forward that would break down a low block with a moment of magic, 54 goals and 28 assists in his 233 appearances is proof of that. He may not like it for too long, but perhaps being a super sub is his position from now on.