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Joe Cole lauded Gabriel Martinelli during , insisting that the Brazilian has impressed him a lot so far.
Mikel Arteta’s side produced a superb performance with 10 men to earn a point at Stamford Bridge.
David Luiz was sent off and gave away a penalty during the first-half. But Arsenal fought back from behind on two occasions to secure a draw.
The visitors’ first goal came from a remarkable run from Martinelli. The teenager was well inside his own half when he started flying forward with the ball.
He did have some fortune on the way with N’Golo Kante slipping at a vital moment. But Martinelli still managed to go through and produce a composed finish to level things up.
It was a tough night for the Arsenal forwards. But Martinelli provided another reminder of why he is so highly rated.
And after the game, Cole insisted that the 18-year-old is already establishing himself as a key man in Mikel Arteta’s ranks.
“This lad is a very, very, very good player. To have that composure, I think 40 yards from goal he decided what he was going to do, didn’t change his mind. Clear mindset,” .
“He’s the future. Massive, massive player for Arsenal. I’ve watched him twice now and he’s impressed me so much. Exciting player.”
TBR View – Shades of Henry?
It was a finish that was perhaps somewhat reminiscent of a strike from Thierry Henry against Manchester United in 2001, with Martinelli sending Kepa the wrong way as the Frenchman had done with Fabian Barthez at Highbury.
And of course, Henry knew exactly how to pick the ball up from his own half and run the length of the pitch before finding the back of the net.
Perhaps it is unfair to make any comparisons between Martinelli and Henry. But it is interesting to note that the latter had scored 10 goals by the end of January during his first season with Arsenal.
Martinelli’s strike at Chelsea on Tuesday took his own tally for the Gunners into double figures.