Arsenal title winner Alan Smith believes Gabriel Martinelli can play as a striker long-term.

He wrote for the London Evening Standard: "Following on from his brace against Nottingham Forest, another two goals last night to soften up Standard Liege spoke of a teenager going places fast. We hear he is better suited long term to a role on the wing, the position where he made his name at Ituano in Brazil.

"But his clever movement here suggested otherwise. The near-post dash across his marker to glance home a marvellous header. The skilful shimmy and shot to curl in the second. These aren't the hallmarks of a winger filling in. They point to a front man with natural goalscoring instincts.

"At 18, Martinelli obviously has much to learn. Pitted against better defenders, his hold-up play will need to gain nous. He'll have to get stronger to protect the ball. But the basic ingredients are in place. He doesn't need telling how to find space in the box — a wonderful asset for the challenge ahead."