Martinelli form proves Arsenal are ready to move on from Aubameyang

"It broke me. I cried a lot," Gabriel Martinelli said at the beginning of 2021 as he opened up about his knee injury sustained in training 18 months ago. The Brazilian youngster was informed he'd need surgery to correct an issue that kept him sidelined for six months. For a player who had just turned 19, that was a huge blow for both player and club. 

However, since making a full recovery, Martinelli is making up for lost time. The Gunners star-in-the-making bagged a brace in Arsenal's resounding 4-1 win at an injury-hit Leeds over the weekend, the only game to go ahead on Saturday due to COVID-19 outbreaks among a number of teams. 

If there was any pressure on Arsenal to end an away three-game losing streak in the build up to the win at Elland Road, then they certainly didn't feel it. Mikel Arteta's side were three goals to the good at the break and while they took their foot off the gas for the second half, Leeds didn't offer enough to mount a serious comeback on home turf. 

Martinelli played a starring role in the victory in Yorkshire, scoring goals number three and four for the season in a rampant first half display from the north London side as he yielded a WhoScored rating of 9.11 to make the Premier League team of the week(ish). Since coming off the bench to score a wonderful volley against Newcastle last month, the Brazilian has been nigh-on unstoppable, netting four goals and providing two assists in his last six league outings. 

Of the 57 players to be directly involved in five or more goals in the Premier League this season, only seven are contributing to a goal more frequently than Martinelli (101.6 mins) and 2021/22 is already his most prolific in his career. Martinelli's return to the squad and to get among the goals in the process is a huge boost for Arsenal, both in terms of options for Arteta and personnel available to the Spaniard. 

Only Emile Smith Rowe (7) has scored more league goals than Martinelli (4) of all Arsenal players in the Premier League this season, that the same as former club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, despite Martinelli registering 610 minutes of league action compared to the 32-year-old's 1040. Aubameyang hasn't started a Premier League game since the 3-2 loss at Manchester United at the start of December, with the ex-Dortmund man rumoured for a January Emirates exit. 

Not only would that get a high earner off the books that would allow the Gunners to strengthen elsewhere, but Arteta already has a readymade replacement in Martinelli that would save Arsenal money in the market. Granted, the latter is better suited coming off the left to provide an attacking threat, but so too is Aubameyang. 

Aubameyang was ineffective when moved into a central position by Arteta, and it's no shock that Arsenal have looked a more cohesive attacking unit with Alexandre Lacazette leading the charge. The Frenchman is more willing to drop deep to link the play in the final third, an approach the benefits the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Martinelli. 

Yet it's not just Martinelli's goals that would boost Arsenal, but his relentless work off the ball too. He boasts a WhoScored strength of 'defensive contribution' and rightly so with the attacker averaging a notable 2.1 tackles per 90. Then there is his willingness to keep going and going and when a move doesn't pay off, it does not deter his confidence. 

3.1 attempted dribbles per 90 is the third best of all Arsenal players and while a 41.9% success rate doesn't make for great reading, Martinelli's eagerness to continue in his attempts to get the better of an opponent is a trait that should be applauded. Indeed, he must be an absolute nightmare to play against given he doesn't give defenders a moment's rest. 

The average age of Arsenal's squad is one of the lowest in the Premier League this season, but it's this youthful fearlessness in the XI that has helped the Gunners return to the top four with all three goalscorers at Elland Road aged 21 or under and while they will have blips, this in part due to inexperience that will see them stutter as they did at Manchester United and Everton, this is a side that will go from strength-to-strength as they grow together. 

And it could prove that Martinelli is the right man to spearhead that young frontline, or at the very least, take over the mantle from the left flank from Aubameyang that would see the forward maximise his goalscoring talent from out wide, as he has done so impressively to date.