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Arsenal have a world class prospect who showed glimpses of his talent vs Frankfurt – opinion

On a dismal evening for Arsenal fans where they lost 2-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt, hopeful signs were few and far between; so much so the following morning Unai Emery was sacked.

After starting the game incredibly well, pinning the visitors into their own half, Arsenal had to wait until added time in the first half to make a breakthrough via Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang. However, the second half was a much different story as the hosts conceded two goals in nine minutes from Daichi Kamada to seal a Frankfurt victory.

For Arsenal, the one glimmer of hope was a player who made the most of acquiring some more Europa League minutes, Gabriel Martinelli. He received high praise from teammate Aubameyang after the game who lauded the 18-year-old for his impressive showings since arriving at the Emirates Stadium, “Martinelli has done really well, scoring goals and settling into the team”, said the Gabonese forward.

Since arriving from the Brazilian side, Ituano in the summer Martinelli has particularly impressed in the Europa League, and the game against Frankfurt was no different. He made driving runs while showing smart movement off the ball and provided the assist for Aubameyang’s goal before he was taken off on the hour mark. So far in the competition this season he has three goals and an assist to his name in four appearances, meaning whoever comes in as the next Arsenal manager might consider giving him his first Premier League start.

Martinelli has an outstanding record in the League Cup as well, having started two games, returning four goals, both braces against Nottingham Forest and Liverpool. While he has not yet been offered 90 minutes in the Premier League, the teenager has made five substitute appearances, but he has been unable to convert the brief time he’s been afforded into goals or assists.

Despite Emery’s departure and a run without a win in seven games, Arsenal have reason to be optimistic having unearthed a gem who is currently proving his worth in the Europa League.

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