- Forward praised for ‘taking responsibility’ after exit from Europe
- Arteta confident Martinelli’s decisive miss would not affect him
Mikel Arteta praised Gabriel Martinelli for “taking responsibility” after his opener set Arsenal on the way to a 4-1 win against Crystal Palace, with the Brazilian getting back on track after missing the decisive penalty in their shootout defeat to Sporting in the Europa League on Thursday.
Martinelli broke the deadlock against Palace with a superb finish, whipping a shot into the far corner after he was set up by Bukayo Saka. His teammate followed up with two goals of his own either side of a strike from Granit Xhaka, with Jeffrey Schlupp’s consolation midway through the second half failing to turn the tide. The win extended Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table to eight points, albeit having played one game more than Manchester City.
