"Do you think he would get into that Liverpool team" - Emmanuel Petit urges 23-year-old Arsenal star to 'step up' in scathing attack

Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has slammed Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli and insisted he won't get into the current Liverpool side. Arne Slot's Liverpool side find themselves in the driving seat in the Premier League title race with Arsenal sitting nine points behind the leaders.

Mikel Arteta's side have challenged for the Premier League title over the last couple of seasons. However, they eventually fell short against Manchester City both times, losing the title by five and two points, respectively.

Gabriel Martinelli had a stellar 2022-23 season in which he produced 15 goals and six assists in 46 games. However, the Brazil international has not been able to sustain that level since, having only scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in 68 appearances.

Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has urged Martinelli to step up his game and deliver more on the pitch. He has insisted that the Gunners are heavily dependent on some players like Bukayo Saka as others like Martinelli have been underwhelming.

Petit told Ladbrokes for the launch of “Gaffer of all Accas”, as quoted by Caught Offside:

“Look at the quality Liverpool have up-front – it’s amazing. It’s amazing how many great players they have in that area. Then, look at Arsenal; if one or two players are missing, then it’s not the same team anymore. For me, this is the main difference. Saka being out for a few weeks is a huge blow – but other players now need to come in, step up, and take on the responsibility."

Petit has also urged Mikel Arteta to bring more firepower to his Arsenal squad during the transfer window in order to catch up with Liverpool. He added:

"I’m thinking about Gabriel Martinelli, for example. I’m not happy with Martinelli. He had a good game against Crystal Palace a few days ago, but that’s not enough. When you look at his journey, and how he started in the first-team, around the same time as Saka… when you look at how Saka has improved, year after year, and has become one of the best players in the Premier League, I’m thinking ‘when is that going to come from Martinelli?’

“The transfer market is opening soon, and I know that it’s hard to spot good opportunities at this time of the year, but they need to strengthen the team."

Petit went on to claim that Martinelli won't get anywhere near the Liverpool team with his level of inconsistency. The Frenchman also claimed that the 23-year-old still has time to improve his game but needs to buckle up. He concluded:

"Honestly, do you think Martinelli would get into that Liverpool team? No. So how do you compete with that? Rise up your level. You know, you’ve been at the club for years now.

“I’m sorry to say that. We have seen his quality in patches, but it’s not enough. He is still young, and he can recover quickly, so playing so regularly is not an issue for him. Come on; you have to show more on the pitch.”

Martinelli joined Arsenal in 2019 in a reported £6 million deal from Brazilian side Ituano and has since become a regular for Mikel Arteta's side. He has so far made 198 appearances for the Gunners scoring 46 times while producing 24 assists.

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Arsenal leading the race to sign Liverpool and Chelsea target: Reports

Arsenal are reportedly leading the chase to sign Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush who has also attracted interest from clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea. As claimed by Caught Offside, the Gunners have moved ahead of their rivals for the signing of the red-hot attacker.

Marmoush has been in exceptional form for Eintracht Frankfurt this season, having scored 18 goals and provided 12 assists in 24 appearances this season. He joined the Bundesliga side from VfB Stuttgart on a free transfer in 2023 and has not looked back since.

The Egypt international scored 17 goals and provided six assists in 41 games for Frankfurt last season. However, he has seemingly stepped up to a whole another level this campaign.

Capable of playing either as a number nine or on either flank, he looks like a perfect attacker for Arsenal who could do with some firepower. With Bukayo Saka out for some time with a hamstring injury, the Gunners find themselves in a tricky situation and Marmoush could be the solution.