All hail Jesus! Martinelli heaps praise on Arsenal teammate

Tom Hancock

• Updated: 24 Mar 2023 11:46 GMT
• 3 min read

Gabriel Martinelli has lauded Arsenal teammate Gabriel Jesus as ‘one of the best people I’ve met in football’.

The two Brazilians have developed a great understanding in attack to help the Gunners charge towards a first Premier League title in 19 years, and Martinelli can’t speak highly enough of his namesake.

Jesus recently returned from an injury he picked up at last year’s World Cup – where he featured alongside Martinelli – and Mikel Arteta will be hoping to see last summer’s marquee signing pick up where he left off.

READ: Arsenal in for Real Madrid star compared to Messi and Hazard

Martinelli certainly sounds glad to have Jesus back in the fold. Speaking on Arsenal’s Come Back Stronger YouTube documentary series, he said:

“In this month that he was out, he was always talking to me and with the other boys, trying to help. And as I said, that’s who he is and he’s a lovely person that tries to help everyone. It’s so important to have him here.

“I knew from the beginning, but when he came, I realised that he’s a great guy, a great player. I’ve said it many times: on and off the pitch, he is one of the best people that I’ve met in football.”

Jesus back just in time

Since making the £45m (€51.1m) move from Manchester City to Arsenal last summer, Jesus has scored five Premier League goals and provided six assists in 16 appearances.

He made his long-awaited comeback as a substitute in this month’s 3-0 win away to Fulham, before playing the first half of the Gunners’ dramatic Europa League last-16 defeat to Sporting Lisbon.

With 10 games to go, Arsenal lead Man City by eight points at the top of the Premier League table; City have a game in hand, but the two sides do still have to meet at the Etihad Stadium in April.