Hector Bellerin claims Gabriel Martinelli is one of the best teenage prospects he has every seen.
That is rich praise considering Bellerin came through the Barcelona system and has been at Arsenal for nearly eight years.
Brazilian wonderkid Martinelli, 18, has become the first Arsenal teenager to score ten goals in a season since Nicolas Anelka.
Martinelli, who cost just £7m in the summer when Arsenal beat Barcelona and Manchester United to his signature, scored a solo wonder goal at Chelsea and has been taking tips off club legend Ian Wright.
He has already been called up by Brazil and looks destined for superstardom for both club and country thanks to his pace and prolific goalscoring.
When asked when was the last time he saw a teenager with such talent, Arsenal defender Bellerin said: “To be fair there are not many.
“A lot of people talk about his talent, but what people don’t see is that Gabi is a professional. He turns up early every day. He does all the stuff and everything anyone asks him to do. He is the first player to press and the last player to leave everything on the pitch.
“The goals are just a plus. He helps us in every single way and the thing that everyone needs to praise him for his attitude. That is what makes him a player.
“I think he is obviously really young in his career - so many things can happen - but if he keeps his head where it is right now, he is going to go really far for sure.”
Bellerin made his first start under Mikel Arteta at Chelsea and, even though it has been a rocky road since the new Arsenal boss took over, the Spain right back says the players believe in him.
Arteta has instilled a new belief and ethos in the dressing room which everyone could see in the fight back at Chelsea as Arsenal’s ten men twice came from behind to snatch a point.
“I think one of the most important things to be able to be confident in the game is to believe in the manager,” said Bellerin who marked his return with the last gasp equaliser.
“I think we have all realised that if we play the way he tells us to play we will do great things and everyone is really motivated.
"Everyone is playing for each other, everyone is running. You could see that in the last 10, 15 minutes of the game - we had 10 players in our box defending for their lives. That is what it is about. Sometimes that is the way to win games.
“Obviously I am very happy with the goal, but what has truly made me happy today is seeing everyone really defending with heart, with spirit, playing for each other after losing a man in the early moments of the game.
“It is really difficult to get back into the game twice, especially at a place like Stamford Bridge. That is what has really made me happy.”
