Gabriel Martinelli’s impactful appearance as a late substitute for Arsenal led to him scoring two decisive goals, sealing their 5-0 victory against Crystal Palace. Commentators Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown drew parallels between Martinelli’s performance and the legendary Thierry Henry’s style, particularly in the way Martinelli executed his goals.
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Ferdinand and Keown, while speaking on TNT Sports, emphasized Arsenal’s urgent need for a win to maintain their competitive position in the Premier League alongside teams like Manchester City, Liverpool, and Aston Villa.
They highlighted the strategic importance of the early goals scored from set-pieces, which helped steady both the team and the anxious Emirates Stadium crowd. Ferdinand expressed, “You want to start the game… They controlled much of the opening spells of the game, then they get a set piece and score two goals… Another bad result would have sent this place into hysteria.”
Martinelli’s entry into the game and his rapid scoring were standout moments, with his skilled maneuvering and precision in front of the goal drawing comparisons to Thierry Henry.
Martinelli twin goals vs Crystal Palace. pic.twitter.com/tyxie27dpY
— Yilrizzzz (@yilrizzzz) January 20, 2024
Ferdinand praised Martinelli’s composure, saying, “This is what I liked about him… but he has the composure, the calmness in front of goal. That was Thierry Henry-ish, getting in those areas, he was magnificent at doing that.”
Thiery Henry x Martinelli – Reminiscence edit
Did that goal remind you of HIM? 😉😁pic.twitter.com/JM1BYp5hlI
— AFC_Adi (@AFC_Adi06) January 20, 2024
Prior to this match, discussions by Ferdinand and Keown revolved around Arsenal’s recent struggle to score, with a particular focus on Gabriel Jesus’ role as a central striker. Post-match, Keown shared his observations about Jesus, noting a pattern of drifting to wider positions, which could indicate both a problem and a potential different role for him within the team.
Keown remarked,
“I like him as a player… Is he really the predator?… He doesn’t really make the runs into the box… But if he’s gonna be Arsenal’s centre-forward then there’s going to have to be more work done keeping him in that central position.”
Ferdinand concurred, emphasizing the need for Jesus to be more focused on playing centrally to effectively lead Arsenal’s attack. He observed that Jesus appeared more comfortable in wider spaces, suggesting a reduced focus on goal-scoring responsibilities.
