‘He’s better than I thought’: Ian Wright says one Arsenal youngster has really surprised him this season
Arsenal legend Ian Wright raved about Gunners forward Gabriel Martinelli after the youngster was called up to the Brazil squad for the World Cup in Qatar this month.
It looked like the 21-year-old would just miss out considering the amount of quality Brazil have up top. However, Tite called him up, claiming that he really liked his aggressiveness in attack.
Ian Wright says Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli is better than he thought
Wright follows Arsenal week in, week out. He’s very close to the players as well, and he sat down for a chat with young Martinelli when the Gunners were in Germany before the start of the season.
The legendary Englishman got to know Martinelli really well then, and he’s absolutely delighted to see the youngster fulfilling his dream of going to the World Cup this year.
A surprised Wright even went on to say that Martinelli is even better than he thought he’d be, which is a big compliment.
He said on the Wrighty’s House podcast: “He’s one of the main reasons why Arsenal are doing what they are doing at the moment.
This season, after speaking with him in pre-season and having a chat with him, he’s actually doing it. He’s better than I thought he’d be.
“I know how much Klopp just loves him, I can’t see anyone who wouldn’t. There’s not a defender he’s come up against who he hasn’t just taken to the cleaners.
“The way we have developed him into being able to go into the greatest footballing nation’s World Cup has to be a credit to Arsenal.”
Our View:
Martinelli deserves immense praise for his progression since the start of this season, but it’s Mikel Arteta who deserves the most credit for helping him develop the way he has.
The Arsenal boss was adamant over the last two seasons that Martinelli wasn’t quite ready to start every single game. He received a ton of stick from fans for that, but he stood firm, and we can see how much that has helped the 21-year-old now.
Martinelli has been truly sensational this season. He is a nightmare to play against and has troubled almost every single defender he has come up against since the start of the campaign.
Arsenal take on Brighton this evening and Martinelli is expected to be given a rest. However, he could well come on as a substitute to help the Gunners if required late in the game.
