Gabriel Martinelli reveals secret behind his Arsenal goal vs Southampton in training ground admission
Gabriel Martinelli is building form at Arsenal after a difficult start to the season.
The Brazilian had a trialling start to the campaign, seeing his questionable form over the 2023/24 calendar spill into the new season.
Martinelli scored for the first time in 208 days last time out against Leicester City and added to his tally in the win over Southampton.
Arsenal had to come from behind to beat the Saints at the Emirates, winning 3-1 thanks to second half goals from Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.
Gabriel Martinelli makes Arsenal training claim after Southampton goal
It was important for Martinelli to add to his goal against Leicester with another against Southampton, paving the way for the winger to build some much-needed form.
The Brazil international’s confidence looks to be growing as a result, which only means good things for Arsenal, who are more than aware of what the 23-year-old can offer at his very best.
Aside from building confidence on match days, Martinelli’s journey to redemption began in training, as the forward admitted after the win over the Saints.
Reacting to his goal when speaking to Opta Sports, Martinelli said, “Great ball from B [Saka], we’ve been practising that ball a lot during the weeks and today it paid off.”
The Arsenal star then elaborated on what the squad do in training that made his goal a routine one to score.
“We know we have to attack in the box and when someone opens the ball up, we know where to go.”
Of course, a lot of things have to go right in order to peel things from the training ground and make them happen in a match setting, with Saka and Martinelli acting fast to get the better of the Saints.
Martinelli’s form is vital to Mikel Arteta
From Saka’s perfectly crafted ball into the box, to Martinelli’s composure to finish, it was a goal that will be applauded by those behind the magic at Colney.
While the goal was an example of the importance of application in training, it stood for more than just that for Martinelli.
As stated, it’s not been an easy ride for the Brazilian over the past year however, Arteta kept the faith in the 23-year-old and is now starting to reap the rewards.
It was only in the 2022/23 campaign that the manager saw the importance of Martinelli’s form, as the winger contributed to 20 Premier League goals, scoring 15 to fuel the Gunners’ title hopes.
Now on the road back to such level, Arteta will be thrilled to have the winger back performing with confidence, with Martinelli being a crucial part of Arsenal’s title hopes.
