Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta may have the new Marc Overmars to fire Gunners to premier league title
Arsenal star can have a similar impact to that of Marc Overmars, according to former Gunners left-back Nigel Winterburn. Overmars played a key role in the club’s title success of 1997/98 and Martinelli could be the man to spearhead Mikel Arteta’s side to glory this season.
Arsenal are five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. It has left fans dreaming of a first title success since the Invincibles campaign over 18 years ago.
Martinelli has played a key part in the first 14 matches of the season, starting each of them from the left-hand side of attack. He has five goals and two assists to his name but he brings more to the team than just numbers.
The Brazilian is a constant threat to full-backs, with his pace and dribbling ability up there with the best. His composure in the final third still needs improving but has already come a long way this term.
Winterburn says it is unfair to compare Martinelli to anyone at such a young age. He told Paddy Power: “We can’t compare Gabriel Martinelli to anybody and to try and do that is completely wrong because he’s a young man that’s only just started on his journey.”
But he does admit there are similarities to his former team-mate Overmars. Winterburn played on the same side of the pitch as Overmars during the winger’s three years in north London.
The Dutchman scored 12 goals in his debut campaign in the Premier League and led the club to a league and cup double in 1997/98. Winterburn wants Martinelli to have more longevity than Overmars though, and replicate the success of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.
He added: “A more realistic question to ask is if he can reach the heights of Dennis Bergkamp or Thierry Henry, because then we’ll have a sensational player on our hands. He has high energy loads of pace and good close control.
“Mikel Arteta will want him to compose himself a little bit in the final third when you give him the ball and he starts to run and move the defenders around, it’s exciting to watch. He can have a similar impact to someone like Marc Overmars.
“He had a huge impact on the team when I played with him. There’s been a lot of hype around Martinelli for a while now and if he can get anywhere near the legendary status of Bergkamp or Henry then we are going to have a sensational player.”
