‘Lit the place up’… BBC pundit claims £6m Arsenal player absolutely tore Sevilla apart last night

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Matthew Upson has now been delivering some strong praise for Gabriel Martinelli after his performance for Arsenal against Sevilla last night.

Upson was speaking on the BBC’s ‘Football Daily’ and celebrated the impact that Martinelli had on the game.

The former Arsenal player thought Martinelli showed the correct mentality from kick off, and really set the tone for his side.

Moreover, Upson thought Martinelli was absolutely key to Arsenal finding their night against Sevilla something of an easy one in the end.

He said: “Martinelli, well he just lit the place up in terms of his mentality, how direct he was, how aggressive he was with his decision making.

“And he soon made Juanlu’s life, the right-back, really difficult for Sevilla and just had the beating of him all game at will.

“And that really did lead to a lot of the good opportunities and chances that Arsenal had in the first half.”

“I just like when you see him and he’s just really energised for the game.

“The ball out to him, in the first moment, he stops the ball, there’s no fancy thrills, he’s not overelaborate, he just knows he’s got pace and he likes to stop defenders in their tracks, kind of slow them down and then he just goes quickly.”

Upson thinks Arsenal have a special player in Martinelli

Of course, everyone at the club will realise how just crucial Martinelli is to Arsenal’s success moving forwards.

It’s still pretty remarkable to remember that Arsenal paid just £6m to sign the winger from Brazil just a few years ago.

And some fans now consider him Arsenal’s most crucial player moving forward alongside Bukayo Saka.

A Champions League tie with Sevilla didn’t prove the biggest test for Mikel Arteta’s side in the end, but it may have been vital in reviving some confidence.

Rio Ferdinand thought Jorginho was outstanding at times last night, and it was a timely reminder of his quality.

Leandro Trossard also made an excellent argument to remain in Arteta’s XI to face Burnley on Saturday.

Many feel that Trossard’s presence does get the best out of the likes of Martinelli and Saka.

And Matthew Upson would probably be the first to agree that Trossard should remain in this Arsenal side if it’s helping Martinelli.

All in all it was a much needed evening for The Gunners, who now need to sustain a run of form.