Everyone has been talking about the brilliant energy and skill of the young Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli ever since his arrival at Arsenal this summer, but he was looking very listless against Olympiacos in midweek, which has his worst game ever for us in my opinion.
So yesterday, Gabriel wasn’t even in the squad to face Everton, and Bukayo Saka was given a rest on the bench, although that didn’t last long as he had to replace the injured Kolasinac quite early.
But the one youngster that was selected to start was Eddie Nketiah, who has been rather anonymous since he came back from his Leeds loan until this week, but he has now scored twice for us and hit the bar in his last two games as well. He has obviously been impressing Arteta in training lately.
He combined well with Saka to get our all-important equalising goal against Everton yesterday and he was very “happy and proud” on Arsenal.com after the game. “It obviously makes us very happy and proud. We’re working very hard and Saka’s a great player and he’s in great form. I’m working hard and doing well myself, so we’ve got a good understand and we’ve been playing for a while together. I knew he was going to whip it into the dangerous area and I just tried my best to run in there and get on the end of it.”
He also took the chance to praise Mikel Arteta for giving every single player the chance to impress. “He’s great, he’s given us a lot of opportunities and he’s showed us that if you work hard in training, it doesn’t matter how old you are, he’ll give you the chance if he thinks you deserve it. It’s great for a young player to know that the manager is confident in us and has belief in us and it’s just about working hard each day and improving with each game and that’s what we’re doing.”
We previously mused about whether Martinelli would be the loser of Nketiah not going out on loan again, but it now looks like Arteta will be happy to make use of all our youngsters whenever he gets the chance. They certainly deserve it!
Hmmm. & outside of the goal he scored,which admittedly he took v.well was anonymous.oh.hit the bar with his only other contribution.Is that really enough.?personally don’t think he’ll make it.but would be v.pleased to be proved wrong.Martinelli is 3 times the player.
I disagree Eddie hasnt had many chances to play up front just 2 so far !! Unlike Martinelli who has played many times for the first team and in all the Europa and Carrabo cup ties !! So its not fair to assume after only 2 games eddie isnt going to make it !! In my eyes the guy is class he work rate is second to none and to top it off with a goal and one against the bar shows he has something in his locker !! Martinelli is class as well and it took him 5 games when he first came into the fold to show his ability !! Eddie will make it without doubt the nearest thing to Ian Wright there has been since wrighty left !! You watch 5 more games and he will have got use to what Arteta wants and his team mates !! then you will start to see the real eddie !! we need to keep him Saka and Martinelli without doubt !!
“Folarin Balogun”,, Nuff said
You see comments like the ones up there☝
Expect more of it about Eddie.
Which is total BS.
Everyone suddenly thinks Martinelli is the new Mbappe that’ll be doing it consistently in his teenage years.
People will ignore the fact that he will struggle sometimes, sometimes he’ll need rest, and when these happens, we’ll need someone else as good and convincing as PEA.
The baffling thing is most fans know zilch about our youngsters or barely saw them play, so you constantly read negative comments about them.
In his last two games, he’s hit the bar twice and scored one, and some still say he brings nothing to the team.
Out of the whole youngster we boast, the only ones I really saw as the real deal going forward were first and foremost Saka, my feelings and predictions bout him were never hidden, then Nelson, though I’m disappointed he’s struggling to hold his foot in games, I know what he’s capable of, to me he’s just a younger version of Ozil in the sense that he’s not what he used to be, and only few people ever saw Nelson play football before he went on loan.
Thirdly it’s Eddie I saw, If you constantly read the discouraging comments about Nketiah, you’d think even a striker such as Ian Wright is dumb to take Eddie under his own guardianship.
Eddie is the next natural thing we have to a goal poacher in the football club after PEA.
Yes you’re reading it, Eddie’s the only natural goal poacher we have after PEA but please do carry on with your discouraging statements about the young man because he hasn’t scored in every single game he has played.
The shocking truth and belief I have about our youngsters is ESR is nothing close to a young Ozil, I’ve read delusional comments about how he’s the next Ozil.
The stuffs Ozil did with the ball in his very younger years, ESR hasn’t done half or shown he could do half of it.
Compare him with someone else, but you’d really be expecting too much if you think ESR will solve our creativity problem.
He’s a good kid, but all the times I saw him play, I haven’t seen any X Factor in him as Saka, Nelson, & Eddie.
I’m hopeful he’ll turn very good eventually, but I’m keeping a lid on it
Martinelli and Eddie are going to be important parts of this team next season !! Along with Saka who is different class !! Those 3 players are immense and are only going to get better and better with time !! Martinelli and Eddie are totally different players !! Martinelli likes to dribble with the ball !! Eddie like to play on the shoulder of the defender !! both are good at what they do !! and Saka is also good at what he does and soon he will be challenging for a start in the winger position against Martinelli !! when Smith -Rowe comes back next season he will be challenging for the number 10 slot with Ozil and ceballos is he stays after his loan period is up !! but all is looking good at Arsenal now !! thanks to Arteta !!
Balogun, Smith-Rowe, John-Jules, Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah, Tierney, Bellerin, Saliba, Mavropanos Maitland-Niles, Chambers, Holding, Torreira, Guendozi, willock, Pepe, nelson. 18 players there with the oldest being chambers at only 25. The future certainly looks Rosy and not as desperate as it did a few months ago.
I get this feeling that our summer signings will depend on sales. I think Mari, Soares and Ceballos could be our early signings if they impress over the next 3 months. With Leno and Martinez that would give us a 23 man squad. It’s then about who stays and who goes from macey mustafi Sokratis luiz kolasinac elneny xhaka ozil mkhitaryan lacazette aubameyang. Even if only around half of those stay our squad could have 29 players. Which is more than it has now.
We need Martinelli? really!
We need em both.
The future is Leno, Martinelli, Saka, Nketiah, Saliba, Tierny, Dani, Rowe-Smith
meant to say ‘Who need Martinelli?
Eddie is okay, but he has not shown anything like Saka or martinelli.
Maybe with more game time, what I don’t like is he does not seem to put a shift in.
You guys know nuttn. “Folarin Balogun” remember that name,, it even has a gun in it,
Akan I totally agree with you on “Folarin Balogun”… Folarin Balogun will be a very great player… He is a two-footed skillful, phenomenal and Lethal Striker.
“Folarin Balogun” – The Great.