Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown praise Arsenal starlet Gabriel Martinelli and claim he could be the next Raheem Sterling
Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli could emulate Raheem Sterling’s rapid rise to stardom, according to Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown, who raved about the youngster’s dazzling FA Cup display on Monday.
The Gunners sealed their place in the fifth round with a 2-1 away victory over Bournemouth on a night the club’s young players shone, as Martinelli continued his brilliant run of form by running the show for Mikel Arteta’s side.
The 18-year-old grabbed an assist for Bukayo Saka’s thumping opener and also played a part in Arsenal's second goal as his dummy in the box stumped the Bournemouth back four and gave Eddie Nketiah the chance to score, which he duly took.
The Brazilian ace also got fans out of their seats and pundits’ jaws dropping with an effortless sliced pass over the top of the Bournemouth defence, using the outside of his boot, as he linked up brilliantly with Saka on the left wing.
That moment of brilliance didn’t lead to anything, but his sublime performance and ‘ridiculous confidence ‘ on the ball had both Ferdinand and Keown singing his praises after the match.
“That nonchalance is too much,” said Manchester United legend on BT Sport, reacting to Martinelli’s inspired pass.
“He's playing with ridiculous confidence at the moment.
“That comes from the manager, it comes from opportunity and from taking it. He's quicker than I actually first thought when I first saw him.
“His decision making – that's the thing that sets him apart, he very rarely gives the ball away and he's somebody who wants to bring other people into it but you can see the end product is about getting a goal and getting a shot off.”
Arsenal Invincible Keown also gushed in praise of the young forward and hailed his maturity on the ball at just 18.
And he claimed, under former Manchester City coach Arteta, he could experience a similar period of rapid growth as England ace Sterling enjoyed at the Etihad Stadium.
“I just feel that this player is so mature for someone so young,' Keown added.
“He's 18 years of age and we mustn't forget that. You look at his vision, that back-heel, everything, he’s linking really well, taking on board this new message of give-and-go. He's always on the move, he's a nightmare to pick up and Bournemouth just couldn't get near him.
“The last player Arteta will have worked with in that position was Sterling and you saw the improvement of Sterling, so it's going to be a joy to watch this fella improve because of his starting position.
“This is where he is now rather than the bottom rung, and at 18 years of age.”