Gabriel Martinelli suffers hamstring injury ahead of North London derby in Everton win
Arsenal suffered an unfortunate setback as Gabriel Martinelli had to leave the game in the first half due to a hamstring issue during their 1-0 victory over Everton on Sunday.
This win at Goodison Park marked Arsenal’s first victory there in almost six years, thanks to a well-executed goal by Leandro Trossard in the second half, following three consecutive defeats at Everton’s stadium.
Before this triumph, Arsenal had not secured three points at Goodison Park since Arsene Wenger’s final season in charge in 2017-18.
Mikel Arteta’s team managed to break this streak after a period of uninspiring attacking play, and they now have 13 points from their first five games.
Trossard had to come on the field earlier than expected due to Martinelli’s injury, which occurred around the 24-minute mark. Just moments before his substitution, Martinelli believed he had scored a goal for Arsenal, skillfully placing the ball into the far corner from Fabio Vieira’s pass, but unfortunately, the goal was disallowed.
Arsenal regained possession of the ball thanks to an unintentional deflection off Beto’s boot, who inadvertently blocked a pass from Gabriel Magalhaes. The ball, however, ended up at the feet of Eddie Nketiah in the attacking third. Unfortunately, Nketiah was in an offside position when Gabriel made the pass, and since Beto’s deflection was not considered an intentional action, the goal was disallowed.
Immediately after his disallowed goal, Martinelli fell to the ground, and although the extent of his injury is yet to be determined, it appeared that he was experiencing discomfort in the back of his thigh. The 22-year-old was able to leave the field with caution and returned to the dugout. Arteta confirmed in his post-game statement that Martinelli had suffered a hamstring tweak, saying, “He felt something during one of his sprints, in his hamstring. He will need further evaluation.”
Martinelli’s early substitution has raised concerns about his availability for Arsenal’s upcoming Champions League opener against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday, followed by the North London derby against the high-flying Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday.
Despite not yet scoring a goal this season, Gabriel Martinelli has been an important contributor, providing assists against Nottingham Forest and Manchester United. He was likely to be a definite starter in the upcoming match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Since leaving the Brazilian fourth-tier league in 2019, Martinelli has scored 33 goals and assisted in 21 more in 136 matches for Arsenal. However, his career has also been marred by injuries. He suffered a significant knee injury that kept him out for six months between June 2020 and December 2020, and he missed the end of the 2022-23 season due to an ankle problem.
If Martinelli is unable to play in Wednesday’s match against PSV, Leandro Trossard is expected to take his place on the left wing, although Emile Smith Rowe is also an option for Mikel Arteta.
In addition to Martinelli, Arsenal will be without Jurrien Timber (knee), Mohamed Elneny (knee), and Thomas Partey (thigh) for their upcoming matches against PSV and their arch-rivals, Tottenham.
Gabriel Martinelli suffers hamstring injury ahead of North London derby in Everton win