Gabriel Martinelli faces crucial run-in amid Arsenal interest in Nico Williams | OneFootball

The forward enjoyed his best game in months in Madrid but must keep impressing ahead of the summer

Turning point: Gabriel Martinelli

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It was a classic Martinelli goal too, something we have not seen enough of this season, as he used his pace to streak clear from the halfway line before calming slotting the ball past Thibaut Courtois.

Even after 90 minutes in the Bernabeu, Martinelli still had fuel in the tank and his reward was a goal that will go down in Arsenal folklore.

Cool: Gabriel Martinelli slots home

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“I’m really happy,” the winger said afterwards. “I think it’s the biggest night of my career, because scoring at the Bernabeu is amazing. “I’m really happy with the performance of the team and the goal as well.”

By his own admission, it has not been Martinelli’s best season but it is easy to see how Wednesday could be a turning point.

The Brazilian looked like his old self, acting as an out-ball for Arsenal and using his pace to be direct and go at his opposite man. The state of the tie helped him, with Martinelli having the space his game thrives in, and he made the most of it.

The aim for the 23-year-old now is to use the momentum gained from Wednesday night and carry it into the rest of he season, starting at Ipswich on Sunday.

“I can’t say it’s my best season here for Arsenal,” said Martinelli. “I had to play some games on the right, which is not my favourite position. But I can play there to help the team and I tried my best for the team while Bukayo [Saka] was out.

Duo: Gabriel Martinelli with Bukayo Saka

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“There’s a month and a half to go if I’m not wrong and I will just try to build the momentum and the win will give us confidence. We will go for it. We want to win every single game that we play and just try to build momentum.”

The challenge for Martinelli is that he will not often get games like Wednesday, given the way teams routinely set up against Arsenal.

The Gunners have become used to sides sitting deep against them and breaking them down has proved problematic this season.

Martinelli has, perhaps, been the biggest victim of that as his game is based so much around pace and space.

Starved of it, he has struggled. A hamstring injury picked up at the start of February has not helped too, nor has the fact he has played on the right flank at times due to Saka being out.

Nico Williams and Gabriel Martinelli

London Standard

It’s easy to forget with Martinelli that two seasons ago he was Arsenal’s top scorer in the Premier League as the Gunners competed in a title race for the first time under Mikel Arteta.

The Brazilian finished the campaign with 15 league goals and he was outperforming Saka at that point in terms of attacking output.

The roles have flipped now and Martinelli must find a way to adapt his game for the type of opponents Arsenal now routinely face.

That feels especially important ahead of a big summer for Arsenal. The club are looking to bring in a left winger and they hold an interest in Spain star Nico Williams.

Martinelli may well face serious competition for his spot in the team next season and he needs to show why the left flank should be his.

Wednesday night at the Bernabeu was a good example of why it could be, but performances like that need to be the norm rather than the exception.