Steve Sidwell was impressed by the work rate of Gabriel Martinelli in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Southampton this afternoon.
The attacker has been a key player for the club this season, but we are used to seeing him easily attack opponents.
One side of his game that seems developed but underappreciated is his defending.
Against the Saints, he ran back a few times to help his defensive teammates in their efforts to keep the score down.
On one occasion, Sidwell was impressed and he said on BBC Radio 5 Live:
“Excellent tracking back from Martinelli.
“He’s not scared of doing the hard yards at all.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Martinelli’s game has matured this season and the attacker has shown how improved he has been in recent games.
The Brazilian has been a key contributor in the games we have won so far and it is great to see that he does not neglect his defensive duties.
To achieve success, every player must contribute to the attack and defence and Martinelli seems to understand this.
We need him to become more productive at the other end of the pitch. If he was more potent today, we could have been two goals up before Soton equalised.
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