“They are both tough to beat” - Arsenal ace Gabriel Martinelli names 34-year-old Premier League star among his 2 toughest opponents
Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli has named Ibrahima Konate and Kyle Walker as the toughest defenders he's ever faced in the Premier League.
Martinelli is known for his pace and ability to run at defenders and is one of the fastest players in the English top tier. Last season, the Brazilian forward was the fastest player at Arsenal, recording a top speed of 36.33 km/h (via the Premier League's official website).
During an interview on the Men in Blazers YouTube show, Martinelli was asked (as quoted by TBR Football):
“Who’s the most difficult defender, who is the defender when you get that ball and you face up against them in the Premier League you’re like ‘God, I might not be able to torch this guy'?"
Martinelli named Manchester City's Kyle Walker, who's certainly renowned as one of, if not, the fastest defenders in the Premier League, and Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate.
The Arsenal star responded:
“Yeah it has to be Walker and Konate from Liverpool, they are both tough to beat."
Walker has registered the second-fastest sprint in the history of the Premier League at 37.31 km/h. His record was broken by Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Micky van de Ven last season, clocking a top speed of 37.38 km/h against Brentford on January 31.
Ian Wright names Arsenal star who 'activates' Gabriel Martinelli
Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes Gabriel Martinelli performs better when he plays along with Riccardo Calafiori. The pundit insisted that the Italian left-back unlocks Martinelli's potential when paired together.
Calafiori has been sidelined for three weeks since he picked up a knee injury against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League last month. The Italian international has missed six games for the Gunners as a result.
Calafiori and Martinelli have made eight appearances together, combining to score in Arsenal's 2-2 draw against Manchester City in September, with the Brazilian assisting the defender's superb strike.
Discussing Martinelli's form this season, Wright said (via TBR Football):
“The thing before the injury and when Calafiori came in we saw how he activated Martinelli. People started to worry about him. Fans were getting a bit frustrated. I started to feel for him."
"When Calafiori is playing he actually activates him better, he can come inside, Calafiori goes outside, he can play off him. We all know that on Odegaard and Saka’s side, when that is working, that’s what they do," he added.
Martinelli has contributed three goals and assists each in 17 appearances across competitions this term.