Arsenal fans have a lot to say after seeing Gabriel Martinelli's Al-Hilal debut
Gabriel Martinelli made his debut for Al-Hilal after his departure from Arsenal.
The Brazil international was a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium since he joined the club as a teenager. He produced many excellent moments and left with a lot of love from the supporters.
Martinelli’s move to Al-Hilal was only made official on Thursday, and he was named on the bench when Simone Inzaghi’s side took on Al-Shabab on Friday night.
The former Arsenal man was brought on in the second half for his debut, and fans have now had their say on his performance.
Arsenal fans react to Gabriel Martinelli’s Al-Hilal debut
Gabriel Martinelli came on for Al-Hilal in the 68th minute of the game, replacing Sultan Mandash up top.
The former Ituano man was clearly not up to speed, and many of his actions at the top end of the pitch failed to impress anyone.
That has led to some criticism from Arsenal fans.
One tweeted: “Not going to lie, this was the right time to let him go.”
Another wrote: “Different colours, same Gabriel Martinelli. As much as it hurt to watch him go, maybe it was necessary.”
“End product absolutely horrific as usual,” said another.
Another Gooner posted: “As sad as I am, you can see why Mikel Arteta parted ways.”
“Love Gabi, but this is exactly why Mikel sold him,” wrote another.
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Gabriel Martinelli’s stats vs Al-Shabab are so underwhelming
We love Martinelli like most Arsenal fans, but everyone will agree that he was nowhere near the level required on his Al-Hilal debut.
In his 22 minutes on the pitch, the Brazilian had just seven touches of the ball, attempted five passes and completed only three of them.
Martinelli had zero shots on target, created zero chances and didn’t even make a defensive contribution (Sofascore).
Playing a game just a day after joining the club may well have played a part, which is why he deserves some sympathy for his display.
However, Martinelli will need to get his act together very quickly to avoid the Al-Hilal fans turning on him.
