The inclusion of Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli in Brazil’s World Cup squad continues to be discussed in the South American country.
It’s well known that the 21-year-old has been doing great for the Gunners since his arrival at the club. The problem is that many people think there were other attackers who deserved a place in that list.
Gabriel Martinelli was mainly fighting against Flamengo’s Gabriel Barbosa and Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino. And on UOL, journalist Gabriel Carneiro explained why it was the Arsenal star who was put in the squad.
“Gabigol is a player who had his opportunity, he had continuity, but he never really captivated the coaching staff, they always understood that other players did better in the roles he does. What we heard is that Tite fought to make Firmino fit in, but ended up preferring Martinelli.”
Gabriel Martinelli has five goals and two assists for Arsenal this season. As explained by Tite himself, the youngster was chosen for being a ‘sharp’ player who can be very aggressive on the wing.
The other players had other qualities to offer. Roberto Firmino, as previously done at Liverpool, could also have a role as an advanced midfielder. Gabigol, meanwhile, could offer more firepower, as he’s getting to the end of a season where he scored 29 goals for Flamengo, once again entering the scoresheet of a Copa Libertadores final.
