Martinelli delivers clear message after Liverpool thriller | OneFootball

Gabriel Martinelli says Arsenal’s comeback at Anfield was driven by pride and belief, insisting the team has no choice but to keep fighting to the very end.

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Gabriel Martinelli says Arsenal must keep fighting to the end of the season after helping his side come from two goals down to earn a draw at Liverpool, just days after a painful Champions League exit in Paris.

The Brazilian winger was instrumental in Arsenal’s second-half response at Anfield, scoring their first goal as Mikel Arteta’s side battled back from a poor opening 45 minutes to claim a point despite finishing with 10 men.

“It’s never easy to come here and play against them after not a good result against PSG,” Martinelli told Sky Sports. “We play for Arsenal and we have to go to every game to win. We came with that mentality. We didn’t win the game but we did very well in the second half. We take the draw.”

Arsenal had fallen behind to goals from Cody Gakpo and Luis Díaz, and looked out of sorts in the first half. But a more aggressive second period saw them claw their way back, with Martinelli’s goal followed by a header from Mikel Merino, who was later sent off after picking up two bookings.

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Even down to 10 and clearly exhausted, Arsenal held out for a 2-2 draw against the Premier League champions who wanted a statement win in front of their own fans after losing to Chelsea immediately after winning the title.

“We play for Arsenal, we can’t give up,” Martinelli said. “We talked about pride and we had everything in the second half and did well.”

The match came just four days after Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final second leg, which ended their hopes of a first European final under Arteta. But Martinelli insisted the focus has now shifted fully to the domestic run-in.

“It’s done, we know we lost against PSG, it’s gone already. We have to think about Premier League.”

Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images

He also acknowledged the frustration with the opening stages of the game, saying: “It’s hard to play against them. When the ball goes out, they like to play quick. We didn’t pay much attention for the first goal. We could have done better in the first half. Really happy with the point and the effort.”

Arsenal now need just one more point from their final two games to mathematically guarantee Champions League qualification for next season, but with Declan Rice, and Leandro Trossard doubts for the visit of Newcastle United, the work is far from finished.