Rio Ferdinand spot on with "scary" 2020 prediction about Arteta's Arsenal team
Boxing Day 2020, Arsenal welcomed Chelsea to the Emirates in the midst of some miserable form and just about everyone tipped the Blues to take advantage.
Instead, much to the surprise of many, a Gunners side that contained some young but stellar attacking talents such as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe ran out 3-1 winners. Goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Granit Xhaka and Saka were enough to hand Arsenal the win, despite Tammy Abraham's late consolation.
Come full-time, all anyone could talk about was how Arsenal's youthful attack made light work of more experienced Chelsea defenders. Gary Neville was on commentary duty that afternoon and admitted he thought the Gunners made their visitors look old.
His former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand echoed a similar sentiment, waxing lyrical about Martinelli in particular. "I watched Martinelli at Bournemouth away last season," the ex-England international told FIVE.
"Him and Saka together, they have a link up and a relationship that's already there that I think in years to come will be a scary relationship. Scary! They work so well together. And Tierney as well, backing it up. But Martinelli, I have to say is going to be a tremendous footballer. Top player.
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"He has come back into this team and he is showing what all the fuss was about before. He is going to be a huge, huge player. Massive talent. I just hope he can stay fit. Saka, him as well."
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were two of Arsenal's standout players last termMirror Football is now on Threads! You can follow us here.
Three years on and it is safe to say Ferdinand called that one perfectly. Both Saka and Martinelli are now fully-fledged regulars in the Arsenal side and two of the most important players at the club.
Playing on opposite flanks, both Saka and Martinelli popped up with a number of vital goals against fellow big-six opposition. The former bagged goals against Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool while the latter netted against the Reds both home and away.
Martinelli just edged in terms of goals scored last term with 15 to Saka's 14, but the England international also has a whopping 10 assists. The Arsenal academy graduate's talent knows no bounds, with the 21-year-old also registering his first Three Lions hat-trick last month.
Ferdinand has lavished Saka with more praise recently, comparing Arsenal's right-sided forward to Manchester City ace and five-time winner Riyad Mahrez.
Both are clearly loving life in the red half of north London, as both Saka and Martinelli have put pen to paper on contract extensions and committed their long-term future to Arsenal, much to the delight of everyone at the Emirates.
After Saka's new deal had been announced, he admitted that the capitulation that cost Arsenal the title at the back end of last season "really hurts", but will undoubtedly hope he can fire the Gunners to glory alongside Martinelli next term.
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