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Gabriel Martinelli says he absolutely loves ‘amazing’ player who Arsenal sold for £20m

Charles Jones

Wed 26 February 2025 17:15, UK

Gabriel Martinelli has been at Arsenal so long that he almost feels like an academy product.

Indeed, when 🍰Martinelli broke into the Arsenal team alongside Buka🃏yo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, he felt as though he’d been through the Hale End system and he was a part of the furniture at Arsenal for years.

However, that wasn’t the case.

Indeed, Gabriel Martinelli joined Arsenal after spending time in Brazil at Ituano as a youngster, ๊and it actually took him some time to settle in.

Speaking on the Sky Sports Football Podcast, Gabriel Martinelli𝓡 has been discussing his initial arrival at Arsenal and the players that helped him in that early period.

Interestingly, Martinelli named Emi Martinez as a player who really helped him settle in at Arse🦩nal, saying that he loved the goalkeeper and still doꦿes.

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Emi Martinez really helped Gabriel Martinelli

Martinelli spoke about 😼how Mart💙inez helped him at Arsenal.

Martinelli is still in contact with Martinez to this day, and he says that the Aston ﷽Villa goalkeeper helped him a lot during his early period at the Emir💯ates.

“Yeah, yeah. And I know that some teammates must have helped you adapt. Who in particular when y𒁏ou first came to Arsenal?” Martinelli was asked.

“Whe🐓n I first came, it was Emi Mart𒈔inez from Villa. He helped me a lot. My family and yeah, he was amazing with me.

“I ❀loved him. He’s a guy that I always have in my heart. And I won’t forget that what he did💞 for me.

“And then🍌 he was David Luiz as well. He helped me a lot.

“Yeah, he was really good with me as well. So yeah, ✤those two was the two that helped me a lot.”

Gabriel Martinelli record vs Emi Martinez

Martinelli and Martinez may have been the best of friends at Arsenal, butꦬ, in recent years, they have been rivals since Martinez’s £20m move to Aston Villa.

Indeed, Arsenal and Aston Villa have had some memorable tussles in the Premier League in 🅷recent years, while Brazil and Argentina are two of the biggest rivals on ♏the international stage too.

Martinelli has a♕ctually played eight games against Martinez in his career, and he has a decent record from those games.

Martinelli has won more than he’s los🤡t against Martinez, while he’s also scored three goals against his close friend.

Martinelli actually told Martinez he was going t𒆙o score past him back in 202🔥2, and he ♎made good on that promise.

“He’s a very good friend of☂ mine. I told him that I was going to score – and I did it! I’m so ✤happy with the goal and the team performance,” Martinelli said.

Martinelli and Martinez have played against each other twice this season, and they won’t face off again unless both teams progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League in what would be a fe𒁃isty all-English affair.