“He plays simply when it’s necessary to play simply” - Robert Pires says ‘educated’ Arsenal star reminds him of himself
Arsenal legend Robert Pires has waxed lyrical about Gunners attacker Gabriel Martinelli, likening the Brazilian to himself.
Pires enjoyed a fruitful spell in north London between 2000 and 2006, helping Arsene Wenger's side win two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. Primarily operating as a winger, the Frenchman racked up 85 goals and 61 assists from 284 games across competitions for the club.
The former FIFA World Cup winner looks back at his time at Arsenal fondly and follows the club to this date. One current Gunners star even reminds Pires, who had a brief stint as an individual coach at the club in 2016, of himself.
Speaking to Media Carre, Pires said that he sees a lot of similarities between himself and Martinelli. The Arsenal legend also lauded the 22-year-old's ability to not overcomplicate things. He said (via The Metro):
"Gabriel Martinelli looks like me. He looks a lot like me because he's a dribbler, he scores goals, and he is quick. He makes good calls, he plays simply when it's necessary to play simply, and he goes for the challenge when the challenge presents itself."
Pires added:
"When he sees that one-on-one he plays for the team and that's why I really like him. I know him a little bit, he's educated, and he's doing well at Arsenal, that's for sure."
Gabriel Martinelli was on the bench for Arsenal's trip to Manchester City
Gabriel Martinelli has been important to Arsenal's title push this season, making 26 league appearances. The Brazilian has bagged six goals, including the winner against Manchester City at the Emirates in October, and four assists in those games. He also has three goal contributions in the UEFA Champions League.
Martinelli's last appearance for the Gunners came in their 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United in March. He registered a goal and assist that night, but went off injured in the 64th minute. The attacker went on to miss two club games as a result.
The 22-year-old returned to the matchday squad against City in the league at the weekend. However, he spent the majority of the game on the bench, clocking only 12 minutes of playing time after coming on as a substitute. The match subsequently finished 0-0.
It now remains to be seen if Martinelli will return to the starting lineup when the north London giants face Luton Town in the league today (April 3).