"He was very important to me" - Gabriel Martinelli says former Arsenal star helped him adapt to life in England

Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has acknowledged the help of former teammate Emiliano Martinez when he first arrived in England.

The young forward joined the Gunners from Brazilian club Ituano in 2019 for reportedly £6 million. Since then, he has made 71 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, scoring 16 goals and assisting nine.

The Brazilian joined the club as an 18-year-old. In an exclusive interview with ESPN Brazil, Martinelli talked about adapting to a different country and culture at a young age.

Martinelli said:

“It was a giant leap for me. I was at Ituano; I lived in Itu, and I came to play at Arsenal, living in London. It was a little complicated, but my family was always with me; they always helped me at all times, off and on the pitch as well. At the club, I always had Emi’s support as well."

Martinelli also talked about how former Gunners goalkeeper Martinez helped him settle down at the club.

“He helped a lot; he always helped me. His wife speaks Portuguese, so does he. He was very important to me; he helped me adapt to the club, to the country… With my family here, it became a little easier. But it was a big leap, it was just a bit of a good one."

The young player continued:

“It’s a thud. You leave Itu, 30 degrees every day, playing at Ituano, and come to London. But with all the people, Emi, my family, they made it a little easier for me."

Martinez joined Aston Villa in 2020 after playing second fiddle to Bernd Leno at the Emirates.

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Gabriel Martinelli is a key player at Arsenal now

Since Mikel Arteta took over as manager in 2019 from Unai Emery, the Gunners have seen many changes, both on and off the field.

One of them is Arteta's trust in youngsters and his attempt to construct a young roster. The likes of Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have been given many opportunities to shine, and they have done so well.

Martinelli has made 16 appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring four goals and assisting two. The Brazilian's pace, directness and work ethic has impressed Arteta.

The Gunners are currently pushing for a top-four league finish as they seek to return to the UEFA Champions League for the first time in five years. They sit in sixth position, two points off fourth-placed Manchester United, but have three games in hand.

Martinelli added in this regard:

“We have a young group, we have a lot of time ahead of us, players with a lot of quality, I think we will achieve great things. Our focus (today) is the Champions League. Fighting for that top 4. A club like Arsenal has to be in the Champions League. It's our total focus.”

The Gunners face Watford in the Premier League on Sunday as they look for a strong end to the season.