Martinelli: 'I have sacrificed a lot to shine against Man City'

Gabriel Martinelli revealed that he has given his all recently to keep scoring goals, especially the one against Man City.

Gabriel Martinelli once again became Arsenal’s hero. The Brazilian striker’s dramatic equalizer helped the Gunners secure a point in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City in the Premier League. He affirmed that all the hard work and sacrifices in training are aimed at moments like this.

“It’s definitely an amazing feeling to score,” Martinelli told ESPN Brasil. “It’s moments like these that drive me to work hard, sacrifice a lot during training, and in every aspect of life, just to experience this feeling. Only God, my family, and my wife know how much effort I put in to regain my best form. I know I still have a lot to improve, but the goals in the Champions League and against City were very important. I’m very happy. As I said, that’s why I keep pushing myself.”

During the match, it seemed Man City was sure to win after Erling Haaland scored in the 9th minute and their solid defense. However, Martinelli came off the bench and equalized at 90+3 minutes by receiving a long pass from Eberechi Eze, taking advantage of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma rushing out high.

“We faced Donnarumma in the Champions League last season,” Martinelli added. “He made an incredible save against my shot before. But today, I came out on top. I’m happy with the goal, although of course, we wanted all three points.”

A few days earlier, Martinelli scored just 36 seconds after coming on as a substitute, helping Arsenal win 2-0 against Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League opener.

With this draw, Arsenal now trails league leaders Liverpool by 5 points, while Pep Guardiola’s team has fallen behind by 8 points.

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