Martinelli has had a superb start to the 2022/23 campaign with Arsenal.
However, the Brazilian’s form has dropped in recent weeks. He has not provided a goal contribution in his last five league outings.
The South American was also hooked early in Arsenal’s last two games with his replacement, Leandro Trossard, netting vs Brentford on Saturday.
Now, former Arsenal start Petit has suggested that the World Cup has impacted Martinelli’s form.
Ex-Gunners midfielder Petit has told Compare.bet of the demands being placed on Martinelli: “I know they bought a couple of interesting players, but he’s playing every single game. It’s the same for all the players that went to the World Cup. I know, from my own experience, that it’s not easy.
“When we used to play a big tournament at the end of the season, we’d look very tired mentally and physically. So I can imagine, after playing a World Cup and then going back to their club playing every few days, it can be tiring. They need time to recover. Martinelli is still young, he’s only 21, he’s still so young and he has plenty of time to improve. I’m not surprised that he’s having a difficult time at the moment. He looks tired – mentally and physically.
“For me, Martinelli has the quality to make a difference by himself – his speed, he’s fast with the ball. However, it’s not the main reason behind his form, for me, it’s more about him being tired mentally and physically. He needs to recover, but I’m not very confident that [Mikel] Arteta will rotate.”
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