Gabriel Martinelli is set to play a key role for Arsenal as they host PSG in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday, with the Brazilian adding to the pressure on his side
Gabriel Martinelli described the showdown with Paris Saint Germain as the biggest game of his life. And it also represents a huge chance for Mikel Arteta to transform an underwhelming season into a historic one.
This is Arsenal ’s first Champions League semi final in 16 years and, despite all their success down the years, they have been massive underachievers in Europe. That is why Arsenal winger Martinelli regards this as a massive opportunity for this generation to write their name into club folklore.
Martinelli said: “It’s the biggest game of my life. Since I was five or six years old, it’s been a dream. We deserve to be here and we are ready. It’s an opportunity for our lives. Everyone who loves football wants to play in these games. We have to enjoy the moment and be ready.
“We deserve to be here, we deserve to win something for one of the great clubs in Europe. We have an amazing opportunity and we will go into the game believing we can do it. We have this dream, the club has never won the title and we deserve it because we are one of the greatest clubs in the world.”
Arsenal were supposed to be the team that stepped up this season and won the Premier League title when Manchester City faltered. But the Gunners, despite still holding second place, have been a big disappointment domestically.
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The transfers – most notably last summer’s biggest signing, £42m defender Riccardo Calafiori – have not worked, they have been inconsistent and have fallen short. However, Arsenal have been outstanding in Europe and knocked out Real Madrid in the last round with Martinelli scoring in the Bernabeu.
That has continued an amazing record that whenever Martinelli has scored – and he has scored 50 in his Arsenal career – the club has never lost. It is a record that he wants to extend but insists that he would happily forgo scoring if it meant that Arsenal go on to win the Champions League for the first time.
Martinelli said: “If I need to run 15km, I don’t score and we win the Champions League then I will still be the happiest man in the world. I try to give my best for the team. I don’t think about that record but I know about it.
“When we play against Vini and Rodrygo, I know the players need a little help so me and B ( Bukayo Saka ) try to help Jurrien (Timber) and Myles (Lewis-Skelly) and work hard for the team. We have a huge respect for PSG, we have watched them. We’ve got an amazing team as well, amazing supporters who will be behind us.”
Martinelli, 23, who has two years left on his current deal, joined Arsenal in 2019 and has been a huge part of Arsenal boss Arteta’s revolution at the Emirates. But with that has also come pressure and also competition as he insisted he is also ready even if Arsenal sign big this summer with Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams among their big-name summer targets.
Martinelli said: “We play for Arsenal, it’s one of the biggest and best clubs in the world so we are used to it. We are a big club so we need the best players. It’s been an amazing journey for me, I’ve improved a lot and when I got here we were playing in the Europa League and now we are in the semi final of the Champions League.
“I’m really happy here, this is my home, I love the club and the club has given me so much not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well. The people who work at the club, they have been amazing for me. Everyone has to have their dreams, when I was in Brazil, I knew it could be real, I knew it could be possible and be the best I could be.”
Martinelli also insisted that Arsenal’s men are ready to follow the women’s example after their remarkable win in Lyon to reach their Champions League final. He added: “We are really proud of the girls and we want to do the same. We are really happy to be here and we want to go one step further.”
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