ASK Paris Saint-Germain stars which Arsenal player they most fear and they are unlikely to come up with the name Gabriel Martinelli.
After knocking out 15-time winners Real Madrid, Mikel Arteta‘s men host PSG in a blockbuster semi-final first leg tonight.
Gabriel Martinelli smiles as he speaks to the media
EPAMartinelli was a key man for Arsenal in the win over Real Madrid[/caption]
GettyMartinelli scored a memorable goal in the Bernabeu[/caption]
And if Martinelli gets on the scoresheet, history suggests the Gunners will have one foot in the final next month in Munich.
The Brazilian winger has hardly been in scintillating form this season, with just nine goals — and only two in his last 15 games heading into a mammoth Champions League semi-final first-leg tie against PSG.
But beneath that patchy form lies a remarkable record.
In the club’s 139-year history, Martinelli has the record for most games scored in without being on the losing side.
In the 44 games he has found the net, across his six years in North London, the Gunners have NEVER been beaten.
Fifty goals – the last in the 4-0 Premier League win at Ipswich earlier this month – with 37 wins and seven draws.
It must be pointed out that in one of those draws – a 5-5 Anfield thriller in the Carabao Cup in October 2019 – Martinelli netted twice but Arsenal lost on penalties — a result that is conveniently not included in his incredible perfect run.
Martinelli is happy for that to be the case too.
Join SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plus
in-depth coverage and exclusives from The Emirates
When reminded of the record, he gave a cheeky smile and said: “Yeah I’ve heard that.”
So, how do you explain it?
He shrugged: “It’s what we do, you know? We try to score and assist to help the team win games.
“But, if I need to run 15 kilometres and win games when I’m not scoring goals and win the Champions League, I’m going to be the happiest man in the world.
Gabriel Martinelli’s amazing run of not losing a game when he scores
“It’s really good to have these stats next to me but I try to give my best as I can for the team with goals or just doing the work in defensive work as well.”
You would not blame Martinelli for already dreaming of the Champions League final in Munich on May 31 if he does find the net at some point over the two legs of this semi.
He laughed: “No, I don’t think that, I just try to play and win the game.”
Whether it is from the footballing gods or a sprinkling of pixie dust that does the trick, what the statistic does show is Martinelli has become an essential and game-changing cog in Mikel Arteta‘s machine that is now competing for major titles at home and abroad.
It is important to remember that Martinelli is still just 23, having joined from Brazilian side Ituano in July 2019 for around £6million under ex-boss Unai Emery.
Back then, he was a fresh-faced 18-year-old with a slight, child-like frame, but his talent was on show from the very beginning, netting ten times in his debut campaign.
Martinelli has become a key player in Europe this season
It led to then-Kop boss Jurgen Klopp – following that 5-5 draw – describing the teenager as the “talent of the century“.
Six years later and Martinelli is a senior figure of this side in everything but age, having come through the dark times of Arteta’s early reign.
He survived mass squad upheavals to become an Emirates favourite and a reliable grafter as one of the club’s longest-serving players, even if his numbers – 17 goals in his last 89 appearances – are not exactly eye-catching.
But when he does score, it always seems to matter, a prime example being his stunning solo goal – running from the halfway line – to beat Real Madrid in the quarter-final second-leg 2-1 victory at the Bernabeu.
Martinelli reminded reporters “I’m not that old”, before explaining: “We have improved a lot. It’s been an amazing journey for me. I was just an 18-year-old boy.
“When I got here we were playing in the Europa League, now we are in the semi-final of the Champions League.
The past is irrelevant. We can learn things from that but live the now, the present. It’s a beautiful moment. Let’s live it and let’s enjoy it. We want to do something special
Mikel Arteta
“Since I started to play football, I had this dream to play in the Champions League and to be in a semi-final, it’s amazing.
“It is the biggest game of my life. I’m really happy to be here and to have lived these moments. Everyone that loves football would love to be playing these kinds of games.
“I’m really proud of the team, of the club, we deserve to be playing in this competition and win it. It’s a dream and we are ready.”
This could also be a chance for Martinelli to cement himself into the thoughts of Arteta, with the club looking to strengthen his position on the left wing this off-season, while his contract is also up in the summer of 2027.
Leading Arsenal to a Champions League final would confirm the ink on that contract.
He said: “I have always said I am really happy here. This is my home – I love the club.
“But we play for Arsenal, it’s a competition every day. The club wants to have the best players in the world, because it is one of the biggest in the world as well.
Brazil star Martinelli put in a remarkable shift in the away leg against Real Madrid
“We need to have the best players. I will be really happy when we have big players coming to the team.”
Arsenal’s last European triumph came in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994 with George Graham – when they also beat the French champions at this stage.
But their Champions League record is dire, reaching the final just once in 2006 under Arsene Wenger before losing 2-1 to Barcelona in Paris.
Asked if he feels the weight of expectation to finally win the trophy, Arteta said: “You feel it. We have a lot of people that have worked here for many years and never been in this position.
“That tells you how unique and beautiful it is. We’ve never done it so we need to earn the right to be in that final ? and everything is going to start against PSG.
“I look at the players in the eyes and they can’t wait to play. That’s the feeling.”
Arteta added: “The past is irrelevant. We can learn things from that but live the now, the present. It’s a beautiful moment.
“Let’s live it and let’s enjoy it. We want to do something special.
“The Emirates has to be something special, something that we haven’t seen before.”
Asked if Arsenal were favourites with PSG, Inter Milan and Barca left, he added: “No, as we have never done it, so there is so much to do.”
Thomas Partey is banned after a yellow card against Real at the Bernabeu, meaning makeshift striker Mikel Merino will be in midfield and Leandro Trossard likely up front.
But Arteta can take positives from beating Luis Enrique‘s PSG this term – winning 2-0 at the Emirates in the league phase back in October.
Arteta added: “I loved our presence, how we went out there, our body language, the intensity, how aggressive we were.
Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s top scorer in the Champions League this season
“It was good preparation for what is now coming.
“The way we approached the game against Real and way we approached the game when we played them before, the way we approach every week … that won’t change.”
Arsenal ratings v Real Madrid
ARSENAL’S heroes dumped the Kings of Europe out of the Champions League in dramatic fashion.
The Gunners went to the Bernabeu with a 3-0 lead after the first leg at the Emirates.
Bukayo Saka missed an early penalty, but made amends by chipping over Courtois to make it 4-0 on aggregate on 65 minutes.
Two minutes later, Vinicius Junior pounced on a dawdling William Saliba to fire into an empty net and give Real a glimmer of hope.
But not only did Arsenal hold on, Gabriel Martinelli scored on the counter-attack in injury time to round off a famous 5-1 aggregate win over the reigning champions.
Read how SunSport’s Jordan Davies rated Arteta’s men from his seat inside the Bernabeu…
Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
