Gabriel Martinelli celebrates with his Arsenal teammates (Photo by Julian Feeney/Getty Images)
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit Gabriel Martinelli urged to step up He finally showed that he is good enough for such a big club.
Petit is clearly frustrated with Martinelli, suggesting that the Brazilian striker has yet to show that he is consistent enough for the demands of playing for an ambitious club like Arsenal.
The Gunners have made significant progress under Mikel Arteta, and at one point it looked like Martinelli would be a key part of the team's success.
He told Arsenal they could complete the deal for a fee of €70m
The 23-year-old is still young enough to improve and turn his career around, but one imagines he will soon find he needs to get back to his best quickly or he will be replaced.
Gabriel Martinelli has criticized Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit
“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 are missing, it's not the same team anymore. “For me That's the main difference,” Beattie told Ladbrokes on the occasion of the launch of “Gaffer of all Accas”.
“It's a big blow for Saka to be out for a few weeks – but now the other players need to come in and take responsibility. I've been waiting for some players to reach this level, and I'm very disappointed, to be honest, actually. I'm still waiting for them to reach the level.” Next I think of Gabriel Martinelli, for example. I'm not happy with Martinelli. He had a good game against Crystal Palace a few days ago, but it's not enough.
“When you look at his journey, how he started in the first team, around the same time as Saka… when you look at how Saka has improved year on year and become one of the best players in the Premier League. I'm thinking “When is that coming from Martinelli?”
“The transfer window will open soon, and I know it's hard to spot good opportunities at this time of the year, but they need to strengthen the squad. Absolutely. I've been saying that for the last two years. What Mikel Arteta has done up to this point has been very good, but now they're… At their limit this means they need to bring in new blood, different quality, different options, new energy.
He added: “Honestly, do you think Martinelli will join the Liverpool team? No, so how do you compete with that?
“Raise 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, the club has to make a decision on you at the end of the season.
“I'm sorry to say it, but I'm sick and tired of seeing some of these guys sign four- or five-year contract extensions. On what? Based on what? You play for Arsenal, you don't play for a mid-table team, you know? And that means your expectations have to be… Your mentality goes up, everything, you have to bring more and if you can't, 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 is not enough. He is still young and can recover quickly, so playing regularly is not a problem for him. Come on; you have to show more on the pitch.”
Most Arsenal fans would probably agree that the club needs to see more from Martinelli, with the youngster capable of contributing more with goals and assists than he currently has.
Martinelli remarkably scored 15 goals in 46 games in all competitions in 2022/23, but has scored just 13 goals in the 68 games he has played since.
