Gabriel Martinelli says Arsenal must treat their position as “a privilege” and “work even harder” after finishing top of the Champions League league phase with eight wins, as the winger looks to carry his best scoring run in the competition into the Leverkusen tie.
Gabriel Martinelli has insisted Arsenal cannot relax after a perfect Champions League league phase, telling UEFA.tv that the club’s job now is to match opportunity with delivery as the knockout rounds begin.
Arsenal finished first in the league phase with eight wins from eight, and Martinelli used an interview with UEFA to underline that the hardest part is staying on top. “We have to work even harder to stay in this position,” he said. “I think when everyone started playing football, if they had been told they would find themselves top of the Champions League and the Premier League, they would have embraced the opportunity. We have to deal with this opportunity, it is a privilege, and give our best so that we can be champions.”
The Brazilian also linked Arsenal’s current standing to a shift in expectations around the club, pointing to progress that is visible beyond the training ground. “The most noticeable thing for everyone has been our performances on the pitch,” Martinelli said. “From the outside, you can see our development, competing for titles, and that’s what we have to do. That’s what we want to achieve, playing for Arsenal, win titles.”
Arteta’s message and the squad’s depth
Martinelli credited Arteta’s influence for embedding that mindset across the club. “Getting it into everyone’s head, not only us, the players, but everyone at the training ground, the fans, that Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world and must look to be in every competition and win them,” he said. “Since his first day, that was his main message.”
He also pointed to squad depth as a practical reason Arsenal were able to keep winning through the league phase. “This results from having multiple quality players as an option in the squad. We certainly didn’t have the same starting 11 in those eight games,” Martinelli said. “I’m very happy with our campaign, the quality of our game, and the performance of everyone. That definitely gives us confidence.”
Martinelli’s form and why it matters now
Martinelli is having one of his most productive stretches in an Arsenal shirt. He has 11 goals and four assists in 38 appearances across all competitions this season.
In Europe, Martinelli became the first Arsenal player to score in five consecutive Champions League appearances, while only three players bettered his six league-phase goals in this season’s competition.
The Leverkusen focus
Arsenal’s reward for finishing top is a return leg at home in each knockout tie, the first of which is a round of 16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen. Martinelli described that as a meaningful advantage, without pretending it is a shortcut. “It’s pretty important for us to have the second game at home with the support of our fans,” he said. “We know how hard it is to win this tournament, how hard it is to get to the final.”