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Football London
Football London
Sport
Bobby Vincent

'Phenomenal!' - Arsenal fans love what Gabriel Martinelli did in training for Brazil

Gabriel Martinelli is once again the man on many Arsenal supporters' minds.

The 19-year-old has made quite the impression among the supporters at the Emirates Stadium since arriving from Ituano in 2019.

However, Martinelli's short time in north London has been heavily disrupted through injury problems - especially last season, where he could only put together 22 appearances in all competitions.

The Brazilian teenager suffered a serious knee injury in 2020, where he faced six months on the sidelines, and his return to the side was met by plenty of excitement from the club's supporters.

However, despite showing glimpses of his undeniable talent after returning midway through the 2020/21 campaign, Mikel Arteta started him just seven times in the Premier League.

This is something that has clearly frustrated Arsenal fans, especially after seeing what he did for Brazil under-23s in training recently.

Martinelli, from the left wing, cut inside onto his right foot, before unleashing a sublime strike far into the corner - leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

Arsenal fans love what Gabriel Martinelli did in training for Brazil U23s (Twitter)
Arsenal fans love what Gabriel Martinelli did in training for Brazil U23s (Twitter)

And as you can see from the comments above, Arsenal fans were loving his effort.

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown previously went as far as saying that Arteta "didn't like" Martinelli following the Gunners' 2-1 Europa League semi-final defeat to Villarreal in April.

Speaking on BT Sport, Keown said: "I've been concerned as to why that player is not playing."

When asked why he wasn't playing, he then replied: "Because the manager doesn't like him - it's as simple as that."

Arteta's trust in his younger players was one of the only positives from the Gunners' 2020/21 season - with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe playing a huge part, despite the team's shortcomings.

Saka starred throughout the campaign, while Smith Rowe only really featured during the second half of the season, but more than played his part for the club he has been at since 2010.

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