Arsenal news: Opinion – Fan writer on Gabriel Martinelli

It felt somewhat bittersweet as the final whistle blew on Sunday, all but cementing Ipswich‘s relegation to the Championship, and further solidifying Arsenal’s grip on second place.

In a season plagued by injuries, this was the first time in months that Ben White, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Odegaard had all taken to the field together. The Gunners returned to their scintillating attacking form – a painful reminder of perhaps what could have been this season if key players had been able to stay fit.

But there was another player at the heart of this attacking resurgence.

A few weeks back, I wrote that Gabriel Martinelli had but a few weeks to prove his worth to Arsenal, lest he be sold in the summer. Waiter, hand me a spoon please, because it’s time to eat some humble pie.

It was Martinelli’s brilliant breakaway goal on Wednesday against Real Madrid that sealed Arsenal’s place in the Champions League semi-finals, and it was Martinelli on the end of a sumptuous Arsenal move to score the second against Ipswich.

He has looked like a man on a mission these past few games, and it will be an increasingly difficult conversation in the summer as to whether Arsenal will still need an upgrade.

Martinelli’s resurgence is further proof of how unpredictable and inconsistent this season has been for Arsenal. Leandro Trossard’s double at the weekend is also evidence that Mikel Arteta’s side, even with their injuries, should have had enough to remain within touching distance of Liverpool.

There are many moments supporters will look back on this season and ask ‘what if’.

But the post-mortem can wait. We have a semi-final to look forward to, and Martinelli is back to his very best.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast