Arsenal are currently in high spirits after finally defeating title rival Manchester City 1-0 yesterday, thanks to a Gabriel Martinelli goal. The win bolstered the club to the top position in the Premier League with 20 points. They are currently tied there with North London rivals Tottenham.
The Gunners will be glad to grab an important win against the very same opponent that snatched the Premier League away from them last season. And it was all possible thanks to Martinelli, who has received some appreciation from his manager.
Mikle Arteta on Gabriel Martinelli
The only goal was scored by Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli, and it came right in the 86th minute, leading to mass euphoria among the fans. Martinelli had only come in as a substitute at halftime, and thanks to a brilliant ball passed by Kai Havertz, he managed to strike a goal deflected off City defender Nathan Ake.
Martinelli had missed five previous games as he had suffered a hamstring injury. He was only included in the team in the last minute on Saturday, and even then, there was a major doubt about his participation in the game. He was only brought in to replace midfielder Leandro Trossard, who himself got injured with a hamstring injury.
After the game, manager Mikel Arteta was full of praise for the player. He spoke about the Brazilian’s mentality: “His mentality is incredible at his age. It’s a joy to have him. Today he could change a game and he was really helpful for us to win the game.”
He also recounted how Martinelli had been saying for weeks he would be there against City to win, “He’s been saying for a few weeks I’m going to be there against City. Everyone was saying – “Gabi it’s going to be too early for you.” He said: “Boss I told you, I’m going to be ready.”
The team had also missed Bukayo Saka against City through injury, and the return of Gabriel Martinelli couldn’t have come at a better time.
Arsenal beat Manchester City
Arsenal’s win against City put them on top with 2 points ahead of the Citizens. The win ended a previous 15 game run of no wins against the blue team, with the last 12 games ending in defeat for the Gunners.
Arsenal also performed well, restricting City to just four shots, their lowest ever under manager Pep Guardiola. They held their own, dominating the pitch and midfield battle. City losing Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri did help a bit in that aspect, but Arteta will still be proud of his team.
After the 4-1 defeat against them last season, which saw them lose the Premier League title race, this recent win is sure to motivate them. Mikel Arteta’s men can now again dream of being title challengers, as they are keen to end Pep Guardiola’s dominance of the Premier League.
Arsenal will continue their title challenge by preparing for their next league game against Chelsea on Saturday. Do you see Arsenal as the 23-24 Premier League champions? Make sure to tell us in the comments.
