Martinelli made to measure for life without Aubameyang as Arsenal return to top four
Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on December 15, 2021, in London, England. (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)
GABRIEL MARTINELLI received a standing ovation fit for an Arsenal legend when he limped off after scoring the goal to send Mikel Arteta's side into the Premier League top four. Substitute Emile Smith Rowe made sure with a deserved late second to kick the party into another gear.
Arsenal had mourned the passing of 1971 double-winning starlet Ray Kennedy before kick-off so it was fitting this latest stride towards success of sorts was largely down to Arteta's latest breed of Young Guns.
Martinelli is 20 and Smith Rowe 21 but they were matched by the tormenting talent of Bukayo Saka, another 20-year-old, who bedazzled David Moyes' West Ham defence.
Arsenal came into the match under the supposed cloud of stripping Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of the club captaincy, but the new-look Arsenal has talent and work ethic aplenty to make up for his absence.
Arsenal also missed a penalty through stand-in captain Alex Lacazette after controversial referee Anthony Taylor sent off West Ham's Vladimir Coufal.
West Ham had their moments but there was ultimately only one team in it and Arsenal deserve to be fourth for the first time in 14 months.
Arteta went all in by getting the backing to get Aubameyang out of his squad and he knew he had a few aces up his sleeve, in the form of young players who refused to fold under pressure last night.
The Spanish coach lived every shot, pass, and tackle from the touchline and seems to have at least the players involved here fully believing in what he wants to do.
West Ham looked desperate going into half-time as former Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski was keeping them in the game single-handed (or, as a keeper, two-handed!).
And they were soon on the back foot again as Arsenal played with similar intent at the start of the second half and took the lead three minutes after the restart.
Interim skipper Lacazette picked out Martinelli's run with an inch-perfect through ball. The Brazil international skipped clear to bury a shot inside a post like a seasoned striker, opening his body to shoot right-footed in the style of Arsenal record scorer Thierry Henry.
Now West Ham had to come out and play. They nearly drew level fairly soon too as Martin Odegaard misplaced a pass straight to Jarrod Bowen whose shot was tipped away by an acrobatic Aaron Ramsdale.
More drama ensued moments after Smith Rowe came on for the excellent Odegaard as Lacazette was hacked down by Coufal to concede a 67th-minute penalty and was dismissed for a second yellow card offence.
Replays indicated the Czech international might have won the ball before taking out the French forward, but VAR backed Taylor's spot-kick decision.
Lacazette had scored all eight of his previous eight penalties for Arsenal but this time Fabianski guessed right and saved superbly to his left.
A missed opportunity to finish the match, but Moyes shuffled his side to play star striker Michail Antonio at right-back as Arsenal kept pressing forward with the extra-man advantage.
The second goal came with just over three minutes to go when Saka burst forward and released Smith Rowe, who scored with a brilliant low left-foot shot from just outside the area.
The celebrations were joyous within this young Arsenal side as they clearly showed no signs of missing Aubameyang.
If Martinelli continues to play like this they will not need to sign a new striker in January either.
The second-half explosion of incidents came after an entertaining but relatively dull first 45 minutes.
Arsenal, already six points better off than they had been at the same stage last season, controlled the game as West Ham seemed happy with a draw at best.
Moyes had never won in 17 matches here as a manager but was using all of his experience in his 600th Premier League match to shape his Hammers into a ridiculously hard side to break down.
Only Arsene Wenger, Alex Ferguson, and Harry Redknapp can match that statistic and Moyes is the only one still going strong at the top of his game. His players were also prepared to put bodies on the line to block every time Arsenal played the ball into their area.
Referee Taylor was too easily deceived by falling forwards in the first half too and there was a danger this match would be settled by a refereeing error.
West Ham fans argued that it was anyway, but that has to be seen as local rivalry sour grapes when they get to see the replays.
Are Arsenal the real deal? Recent away defeats at Liverpool, Manchester United, and Everton would suggest not, but this is now five wins in a row at home without conceding a goal and they go to Leeds at the weekend with every chance of boosting their chances of returning to Champions League football next season.
Ramsdale 7, Tomiyasu 6, White 7, Gabriel 6, Tierney 7 Saka 8, Odegaard 7 (Smith Rowe 66), Lacazette 7, Xhaka 6, Martinelli 8 (Nketiah 82).Â
Fabianski 8, Coufal 6, Fornals 6, Antonio 6, Lanzini 5 (Benrahma 76), Dawson 7, Bowen 6, Diop 6, Masuaku 5, Soucek 6, Rice 7.Â
A Taylor 5.
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