Gabriel Martinelli has already equaled one statistic from last season.

On Saturday, goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz weren’t enough to secure all three points against Aston Villa in what proved to be another significant blow to our title aspirations this campaign. Perhaps this match further confirms that this just isn’t going to be our year. As cheaply as we allowed them to get back into the game, there were still some positives to take from the performance. One of these was Leandro Trossard’s continued resurgence in form, as he provided two magnificent assists for our goals. Another positive, and the focus of this article, is that Gabriel Martinelli has now equalled his Premier League goal tally from last season.

The Brazilian has been a topic of debate among Gooners throughout the campaign, leading at times to harsh criticism directed his way. While much of this criticism is deserved given his performances this season, there’s no doubt that an upgrade will eventually be needed in his position. However, perhaps it’s time to dial down some of the negativity, particularly as he is now our second-highest goal scorer in the league. Additionally, we often overlook his incredible work rate. Martinelli is easily our best defensive winger, always willing to put in the hard yards to help out defensively.

Martinelli scoring against Aston Villa

This is by no means an article written to defend him—far from it. As much as I believe he’s a good winger, I just don’t see him reaching the levels we need. A replacement will likely be brought in sooner rather than later, which might be for the best.

Until then, we’ll have to hope he improves on last season’s goal contributions. Having already equalled last season’s tally, he’s likely to surpass it, but it remains to be seen whether this will help revive his Arsenal career.

Tell me, Gooners, do you fancy him finishing the campaign on a high?

BENJAMIN KENNETH