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Fans were divided on Twitter after Gabriel Martinelli appeared to celebrate before scoring Arsenal's fourth as the Gunners defeated Aston Villa 4-2 today (18 February).
Mikel Arteta's side came to Villa Park in search of their first Premier League win this month, after dropping points in their previous three - including a 3-1 loss to second-placed Manchester City.
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Arsenal showed great character to secure all three points. They came back from behind twice in the game after Ollie Watkins broke the deadlock in the fifth minute. Philippe Coutinho made it 2-1 before half-time after Bukayo Saka had equalized for the Gunners.
Zinchenko made it 2-2 early in the second half. At the death, Jorginho's long-range effort hit the bar before bouncing in off Villa shot-stopper Emi Martinez to make it 3-2 for Arsenal. The game was sealed in the 98th minute by Gabriel Martinelli.
Aston Villa had a corner, with even Martinez coming into the box. The ball was flicked to Fabio Viera who began the Gunners' counter-attack. The midfielder sent the ball into the path of Martinelli, who tapped it into the open net.
Martinelli was brought in as a 69th-minute substitute for Leandro Trossard. As seen below, he appeared to celebrate before scoring for his side.
Some fans believed the gesture was 'toxic' and 'cringe', while others took it positively, believing it conveyed the Brazilian's confidence. You can see some of the reactions below:
Despite having the same number of shots on target as Villa (5), Arsenal dominated the ball and had 67% possession and 20 shots in total. Arteta's side showed great character to secure all three points and the win took the Gunners to 54 points in the Premier League table.
They are still first with a slender three-point advantage over Manchester City, who play Nottingham Forest today. The Gunners know that they need to get back into their best form to win their first Premier League title in 19 years.
Their next fixture in the league comes on 25 February when they face 14th-placed Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
How has Gabriel Martinelli fared for Arsenal this season?
Martinelli has been a threat on the left wing for Arsenal this season. He forged a lethal partnership with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus which helped propel the Gunners to the top of the Premier League.
However, the Brazilian's influence has waned following Jesus' injury, and he also lost his starting place to newly-signed Leandro Trossard against Aston Villa.
Arteta will hope the Brazilian' goal today will rejuvenate him for the remainder of the season. Martinelli has scored eight goals and contributed three assists in 31 appearances in all competitions this season.
