Gabriel Martinelli has only scored one Premier League goal all season and his mistake against Manchester City could be the reason why Arsenal miss out on the title yet again this year.
The Brazilian’s only strike in the 2025-26 English top flight campaign to date came in the reverse fixture, when he lobbed Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 93rd minute, but it was the Italian who had the last laugh on Sunday afternoon.
With the score level at 1-1, Donnarumma feigned to roll the ball to Marc Guehi, which triggered Martinelli to sprint towards the Man City defender. With Nico O’Reilly now in acres of space, Donnarumma simply threw the ball over Martinelli’s head and mere seconds later, Erling Haaland made it 2-1.
It was a simple error, but it could prove utterly disastrous for Arsenal’s season. Man City have the chance to go level on points with the Gunners if they beat Burnley on Wednesday, and they are now arguably the favourites for the title given the imperious form they’ve shown since the March international break.
As for Martinelli, it’s time for Arsenal to sell. And the error on Sunday certainly isn’t the reason why.
Analysis: It’s time for Arsenal to sell Gabriel Martinelli
As mentioned, Martinelli has only scored once in the Premier League this season and while he hasn’t been a regular starter, that simply isn’t good enough for a player who has racked up just shy of 1,000 minutes of action in the division this term.
His record in the Champions League is far better this season, with six goals in 11 matches, but he has still only netted once in 12 games in the knockout stages of the competition during his career, and he remains behind Leandro Trossard in the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium.
The lack of attacking potency that Arsenal have shown this season has been widely criticised and Mikel Arteta has borne the brunt of such comments, with his tactics aimed at, first and foremost, being hard to beat.
This has, unsurprisingly, impacted the Gunners’ attackers, but this year has proven that an upgrade on Martinelli is needed. His 15-goal Premier League campaign in 2022-23 feels like a lifetime ago and rumoured interest from Paris Saint-Germain could provide Arsenal with the perfect opportunity to cash in.
Luis Enrique’s side have held talks with Martinelli’s representatives, as per L’Equipe, and they could look to pounce amid reports that Arsenal are willing to sanction a sale.
It remains to be seen if PSG will solidify their interest with a formal bid this summer, but Martinelli’s time as an Arsenal player could be coming to an end, especially as he hasn’t proven his credentials as a winger good enough for a title-winning team.
The Brazilian is a fine player, however there is a stark contrast between himself and his Man City counterpart Jeremy Doku. Both boast mediocre goalscoring numbers, with the Belgian only netting twice in the Premier League this term, but the threat they pose is vastly different.
Martinelli is yet to deliver on his early promise, while Doku is one of the most frightening wingers to defend against in the Premier League.
Arsenal could still win the title this season, but it’s clear that a new left winger must be signed and Martinelli must be sold during the upcoming summer window, despite the fact that he reportedly wants to stay with the north London giants.
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