Gabriel Martelli has named the Arsenal star he loves to play with after the Gunners beat Crystal Palace 4-1 at the Emirates on Sunday.
Martinelli scored his sixth goal in his last six Premier League games to help Mikel Arteta’s side take an eight-point lead over runners-up. Manchester City.
The win over Palace means Arsenal have their 22nd Premier League win of the season – as many as they’ve achieved in all of the last term – and the Gunners’ most ever wins in their first 28 games of a league campaign.
The North London club are in a prime position to clinch their first Premier League title since 2004 and speaking to Sky Sports after Sunday’s win, Martinelli praised teammate Bukayo Saka for assisting his goal.
Saka himself entered the scoresheet twice, becoming the first Arsenal player to score double figures for both goals and assists in a Premier League season since Alexis Sanchez in 2016-17.
‘It was a good pass from B (Bukayo Saka) – I don’t know if he was trying to pass it to me or someone else!’ Martinelli said. “But it was a good pass.”
Asked how much he loved playing with Saka, Martinelli added, “A lot! He’s a great guy, not just him, but the whole team, we’re a family.
‘Bukayo is playing so well. He’s a brilliant player and I like playing with him.’
Martinelli also spoke on Thursday about missing a penalty kick Arsenal crashed out of the Europa League in a shock defeat to Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.
“It’s life,” said the Brazil international. “You’re not going to score every game and play well.
“Of course I was sad and thought about that penalty all night, but it’s over.
“I scored a goal today and we took the three points, the most important.”
Arsenal’s victory over Palace also means they are the first side in English Football League history to win an impressive nine London derbies in a single league season.
MORE : Arsenal star William Saliba’s injury ‘worse than first feared’
MORE : Arsenal were better off missing Mykhailo Mudryk, says Ian Wright
