It was a mixed night for Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli on Tuesday.
The Brazilian wonderkid made his first start for the Gunners in nine months due to injury and his influence was felt in the first half.
Martinelli, a £6 million signing in 2019, set up the goal that saw Alexandre Lacazette equalise for Arsenal in their League Cup quarter-final tie against Manchester City last night, ensuring 1-1 at the break.
But Mikel Arteta brought him off early in the second half following an earlier collision with City goalkeeper Zach Steffen.
The Arsenal boss confirmed afterwards that the 19-year-old had a ‘scar’ on his shin that made him ‘uncomfortable’ after half-time, despite pleading with the Spanish coach to stay on the field during the break.
It remains to be seen how serious the injury is, but his club-mate Mesut Ozil has sent him a good luck message on Twitter:
Things got much worse for Arteta’s side after the break, as City scored three second-half goals to record a 4-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium.
Really, Arsenal need good news on the Martinelli front.
It’s indicative of their problems right now but with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also sidelined, they desperately need the attacking spark that Martinelli provides and will continue to need him over the coming weeks.
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