20 December 2023 , 20:46
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Ex-Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna has heaped praise on young Gunner Gabriel Martinelli and admitted he'd hate to play against the Brazilian.
Martinelli has enjoyed a sensational rise from relative unknown upon his arrival in 2019 to first-ream regular nowadays. However, it has hardly been the most stellar of seasons so far in front of goal for the former Ituano man, with just two league strikes to his name in 15 league appearances this term.
That's not to say his performances have been poor, Martinelli has often been a thorn in the side of opposition full-backs and Sagna has waxed lyrical about the 22-year-old ahead of Saturday's showdown at Anfield against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.
Martinelli has put in some of his best displays in an Arsenal shirt against Liverpool and will be hoping for more joy up against Trent Alexander-Arnold next time out. Sagna seems confident that the Brazil international will continue to weave his influence as the Gunners go for the title.
Speaking to Paddy Power, the former Arsenal ace explained: "I am a really big fan of Gabriel Martinelli and I love the way he plays. I love the way he attacks one-v-one every time he receives the ball. He has courage because no matter what happens, he always tries to attack the defender. He’ll get the ball and go at them again.
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"As a right-back, you’d hate to play against him because he will keep going at you. He’s resilient, he doesn’t give up and when he’s not happy with himself, he’ll always try and put the team first and doesn’t forget the role he’s playing."
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Gabriel Martinelli has been praised by ex-Arsenal man Bacary Sagna (Visionhaus/Getty Images)Sagna did go on to address Martinelli's underwhelming tally when it comes to goal contributions so far this term but made clear that regardless, he remains a keen admirer of the 22-year-old.
“There will always be periods where he’s less decisive regarding the goals and assists but I’m a big fan of him. He might not be scoring or assisting, but he attracts players to him and there can sometimes be three defenders around him.
"He frees up space for others, so we don’t just have to look at his direct involvement, it’s how many players can he attract to him? This is what’s happening to Martinelli right now."