Martinelli Makes His Mark as Arsenal Extend Premier League Lead
Martinelli Comes Off the Bench as Arsenal Stretch Their Lead at the Top
Arsenal kept their foot firmly on the gas with a convincing 3–0 victory over Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium, strengthening their grip on top spot in the Premier League.
The match followed a now familiar pattern for this Arsenal side: patient build-up, control of possession, and then decisive quality when it mattered most in the final third. Martin Zubimendi broke the deadlock just before half-time, before Viktor Gyökeres wrapped things up with two well-taken goals after the break.
But the real spark in the second half came from the bench, courtesy of Gabriel Martinelli.
Zubimendi Breaks the Deadlock Before the Interval
For long spells of the first half, the contest was evenly balanced. Both teams approached the game cautiously, with clear-cut chances at a premium. Arsenal dominated the ball but initially struggled to turn control into penetration.
That changed as half-time approached. With the pressure building, Martin Zubimendi found the net with a decisive strike that felt overdue. The goal lifted the stadium and shifted the momentum firmly in Arsenal’s favour, setting the tone for a much more assertive second-half display.
Gyökeres Takes Centre Stage as Martinelli Lights the Fuse
Pace, Directness and a Decisive Contribution
After the restart, Viktor Gyökeres took centre stage with two composed finishes. Yet the second goal, in particular, owed almost everything to Martinelli’s instant impact.
Introduced at half-time, the Brazilian injected pace and urgency into Arsenal’s attack. One of his trademark surging runs stretched Sunderland’s back line to breaking point, before he delivered a perfectly weighted ball across goal for Gyökeres to apply the finishing touch.
Speaking after the match, Martinelli reflected on how Premier League games often unfold.
“In the Premier League it’s always like that,” he said. “The longer the game goes on, the more space appears. I think we dealt with it really well today.
“They had to come out and attack, and suddenly there was that great ball from Christian Norgaard. It was just me against the defender. I tried to get past him quickly and put it on a plate for Vik.”
Martinelli was also quick to add a light-hearted note.
“I told him the other day I didn’t mean to take his goal against Kairat,” he laughed. “But I’ve set him up twice now — against Leeds and today — so he owes me one back soon.”
Another Clean Sheet Built on Collective Effort
At the other end of the pitch, Arsenal were just as impressive. The 3–0 scoreline secured their 21st clean sheet of the season from 39 matches — a statistic that underlines the balance within the side.
Martinelli was full of praise for the defensive unit and the work-rate across the team.
“We run a lot up front too,” he smiled. “But honestly, it’s incredible. Gabi, Saliba, Riccy, JT, Piero, Mosquera — everyone is putting in such a shift.
“You can see why it’s so hard for teams to score against us.”
A Complete Performance at the Perfect Time
This was Arsenal at their most complete: depth making a difference, substitutes changing the game, rock-solid defending, and clinical finishing when opportunities arose.
Martinelli’s impact from the bench was another reminder of the quality running right through the squad. As the season enters its most decisive months, performances like this underline exactly why Arsenal are sitting proudly at the summit — not just because of individual moments of brilliance, but because of the collective belief, work-rate and balance throughout the team.
