Narratives in football can often change in the blink of an eye, and Arsenal are a great example of that.
Just a month ago, the talk around Mikel Arteta's young side was one of crisis, as three losses on the bounce had pundits and fans alike writing them off for the Premier League title race this season.
However, just four games later, the Gunners are right back in the conversation, in no small part thanks to the resurgence of their attacking players.
Competition
Opponent
Result
Premier League
Crystal Palace
5-0 Win
Premier League
Nottingham Forest
2-1 Win
Premier League
Liverpool
3-1 Win
Premier League
West Ham United
6-0 Win
Gabriel Jesus has registered three goal involvements since the winter break, Bukayo Saka has five, Leandro Trossard has three, and even Gabriel Martinelli, who has struggled this season, has three in the last four games.
The Brazilian could well be on the way back to his best, although if he's still struggling next season, Hale End could already have the perfect competition to push him that bit further.
Gabriel Martinelli's Arsenal record
Famously, Martinelli was signed for just £6m from Brazilian fourth-tier outfit Ituano in the summer of 2019, in what has to go down as one of the best transfers in the history of Arsenal football club, if not the entire league, for just how much the club have got out of him for such a low fee.
Despite being just 19 years old, he didn't take long to make an impact at the club, as in his first season, he made 26 appearances in all competitions, scoring ten goals and providing four assists in the process.
His electric pace and clinical finishing quickly endeared him to the Arsenal fans, and his iconic goal away to Chelsea in that first season is still often talked about as the moment he truly announced himself to the rest of the league.
Unfortunately, his momentum was seriously slowed after he suffered a severe knee injury in June 2020 that kept him out of action until late December of that same year, and while he played a significant number of games over the next year and a half, he wouldn't get back to his best until last season.
Arteta played the explosive Brazilian in 46 games across the 2022/23 campaign, and he was repaid with remarkable performances that returned 15 goals and six assists as Martinelli made the left-wing his own.
Appearances
158
Goals
40
Assists
22
Goal Involvements per Match
0.39
Goals and assists have been harder to come by this year, but with ten goal involvements in 28 appearances, he's doing better than some fans and pundits suggest.
That said, he might have to start looking over his shoulder from next season as Hale End has produced another incredibly talented winger who could soon be making regular first-team appearances, Charles Sagoe Jr.
Why fans should be excited about Charles Sagoe Jr
Kingston upon Thames-born Sagoe Jr is one of the latest attacking gems to come off of the development line at Arsenal's Hale End academy, and with his ability to start at left-wing, attacking midfield and even centre forward, it seems like just a matter of time until the youngster is playing regular first team games.
In fact, he's already made one start for the first team this season against Brentford in the League Cup earlier in the campaign, with Arteta crediting his "consistent" efforts with the academy as the reason why he was given the opportunity.
However, it's with the youth teams that he's had the best opportunity to shine. The young Englishman has made 80 appearances across the U23s, U18s, and the UEFA Youth League squads, scoring 19 goals and providing 16 assists.
His output has clearly impressed more than just Arteta, though, as fellow Hale End graduate and regular first-team substitute Reiss Nelson couldn't have been more complimentary of Sagoe Jr earlier this season when he said: "I've been watching you, I watch a lot of the U21 games and literally, I'm not just saying this because you're here, you have everything to be an Arsenal winger.
"You're unpredictable, you can move on your left, on your right, you can score, you can assist, you've got everything."
The talented youngster was sent on his first loan move earlier this month to Swansea City, and while he has only made two cameo appearances to date, it's just a matter of time until he gets regular minutes for the Swans.
The Arsenal star who Arteta let go on a free & is now outperforming Saka
The 34-year-old striker would’ve surely been useful in a title race.
ByJack Salveson HolmesFeb 14, 2024
Ultimately, Martinelli is an undeniably crucial part of Arsenal's first team and will likely remain so for some time. Still, with Sagoe Jr continuing to develop in the academy and out on loan, the rapid Brazilian might just have to keep an eye on the talented Englishman.