Mikel Arteta says he has been delighted by Gabriel Martinelli’s application in training for Arsenal following his recent upturn in form.
The 20-year-old has been earning lots of praise in recent days following a string of impressive performances for the north London side.
Martinelli has scored three goals in his last two Premier League games for the Gunners and he was named as the man of the match in the Gunners’ 4-1 victory over Leeds United at the weekend.
The Brazilian is known for his high-intensity and energetic game, and Arteta believes that bringing the best out of the forward will require him to learn how to manage his energy levels efficiently.
“You cannot play every action at 100mph, it is impossible,” Arteta told Arsenal Media ahead of the Gunners’ League Cup clash against Sunderland. “It is not very efficient for you because you burn yourself out after a few minutes, and then you just chasing a situation and not reading exactly what is needed.
“Gabi is doing much better at that. We have to try to [develop] that without losing the passion, the energy and this capacity he has to just affect the game with the way he acts on the pitch.
“He trains incredibly hard, he is always willing to do more and he is not scared or afraid to take risks, and that is what I like about him.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal defender Ben White has insisted that Martinelli’s impressive recent form has not come as a surprise to him.
Martinelli has now scored four goals and made two assists in 11 Premier League games for the north London side this season.
“I see him every day, so it’s not really a surprise to me,” White said of Martinelli. “He’s a very talented player and that’s what we are all starting to see.
“We want to keep winning games. We went on a good run before and then we lost to [Manchester] United. We want to keep the run going now and keep winning.
“We are going to keep taking it game by game and just keep working hard ahead of every game.”
Arsenal – who are currently fourth in the table- will return to Premier League action on Boxing Day when they travel to take on Norwich City.