“Leave the football before the football leaves you”; “Needs to be sold” - Fans blast 23-year-old Arsenal star for poor display in Atalanta draw 

Fans slammed Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli after his wasteful display against Atalanta BC in Arsenal's UEFA Champions League 2024-25 season opener at the Gewiss Stadium on September 19. Mikel Arteta's men missed several key chances and struggled to find their footing throughout the game.

Both teams were cautious in the first half, with Thomas Partey and Bukayo Saka creating chances but unable to find the end product.

One of the key moments in the game came six minutes into the second half. Atalanta BC's Ederson burst into the box and was brought down by Partey. After a thorough VAR check, the referee awarded a penalty which was soon followed by a game-saving double save by David Raya to keep the score level at 0-0.

Gabriel Martinelli had one of the best chances in the game in the second half. However, the Brazilian skied his shot from inside the box, resulting in the game ending at 0-0.

Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) afterwards and slammed the Brazilian attacker. While many joked about the player, some were concerned with his lack of form.

"Gabriel Martinelli, leave the football before the football leaves you," commented a fan on X.

"Gabriel Martinelli has failed to register a single goal or assist in his last 17 games for Arsenal. What’s going wrong for him?" asked another.

"What happened to Gabriel Martinelli honestly?" interrogated another fan on X.

Many fans opined that the club must sell the Brazilian, tweeting:

"Martinelli needs to be sold"

"Martinelli, are you sick?" quipped another.

"Martinelli needs to leave this club and I’m saying this respectfully," suggested another fan.

Another fan implied that Gabriel Martinelli should play football in China, writing:

"Martinelli its time to learn Chinese"

"Martinelli this is not a left hand side problem, this is a You problem," declared another fan on X.

Despite playing full ninety minutes, Martinelli ended the match with zero shots on target, no key passes, and no crosses. Moreover, he lost possession eight times while maintaining a passing accuracy of just 70 percent.

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta explains why Gunners struggled in Europe last season

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta highlighted why the Gunners struggled in the UEFA Champions League last season. Despite being one of the top teams in the Premier League, Arsenal couldn't reach beyond the quarterfinal in the Champions League.

They faced Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal. After securing a 2-2 draw at home, Mikel Arteta's side lost the away fixture by a solitary goal. Talking about the mindset required to excel in the European competition, Arteta told the media:

"If we want to be at the level we want to be we have to be really good on the road and at home. We have to continue to be very consistent. In Europe it’s very tough to win just like in the Premier League. Hopefully we can be better."

He continued:

"You don’t know the opponents that well and then boxes become crucial. There are small moments that define the games. In Europe you’d better be at your best."

The Gunners will face Paris Saint-Germain in matchday 2 of the Champions League at home on October 1.