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Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has praised club manager Mikel Arteta and believes he is destined for greatness.
Martinelli was signed for the Gunners by former manager Unai Emery, under whom he scored seven goals in just 11 matches. He featured only sparingly in Arteta's first full season at the helm but has become one of their most important players this term.
The Brazilian has already racked up 26 appearances across all competitions in the ongoing campaign, three more than what he managed in the 2020-21 season. Arteta has largely used him on the left flank, where he has terrorized defenders with his movement and acceleration.
Martinelli has now praised the Arsenal manager for not only supporting him, but also for displaying the qualities of a great coach. He told the Daily Mail (as quoted by HITC):
“He was there to support me when I got hurt. He is already a great coach, who works thinking of what modern football is like, giving us great advice. He is also a nice person, always treating people well.”
The 20-year-old went on to add about the Spanish tactician:
“I feel Arteta will be one of those lifelong coaches with lots of titles to their name and their place in football history.”
Martinelli has scored five times and laid out four assists this season in all competitions. He is expected to play a crucial role in the remainder of the season as well.
Mikel Arteta has Arsenal dreaming about UEFA Champions League football again
After a dismal start to the season, which saw them lose their first three Premier League matches, Arsenal have pieced together an incredible turnaround. They have picked up 17 wins and three draws in their next 25 league matches and currently sit fourth in the standings.
The Gunners suffered a premature exit in the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest and also fell in the semifinals of the Carabao Cup against eventual winners Liverpool. However, a top-four finish in the Premier League could easily remove those results from fans' memory.
Arsenal haven't been in the UEFA Champions League since the 2016-17 season. Back then, they exited the tournament in the Round of 16 after a humiliating 10-2 aggregate defeat against Bayern Munich.
However, this young Gunners side, led extremely well by Arteta, seem to be on the verge of taking the team back into Europe's premier club competition. Arsenal are currently three points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand.
They have some tough fixtures to get through before the end of the league season. However, the Gunners have picked up six wins from their last seven matches and are firm favorites to finish in fourth place.
