Gabriel Martinelli’s remarkable form in this season’s Champions League has seen him achieve a milestone no Arsenal player has ever reached.
The Brazilian forward has been lethal in Europe, consistently finding the net to keep the Gunners atop the league phase table, boasting the only remaining 100% record after six matches. By scoring in all five of his appearances so far, Martinelli has become the first Arsenal player to score in five consecutive Champions League matches.
His scoring streak began on matchday one, coming off the bench against Athletic Club to score the opening goal in a 2-0 win. He continued his run with another strike in a 2-0 victory over Olympiacos and was on target during a 4-0 demolition of Atletico Madrid.
After sitting out the win at Sparta Prague, Martinelli returned to impact matches as a substitute against Bayern Munich and finished off the triumph over Club Brugge with a stunning strike.
Softfootball understands that Martinelli has surpassed the previous club record of four consecutive European goals, a feat achieved by Ray Kennedy in 1971/72, Thierry Henry in 2004/05, Emmanuel Adebayor in 2008/09, and fellow Brazilian Gabriel Jesus two seasons ago. His heroics were noted in a post made by Arsenal via their official X account.
They posted:
Looking ahead, Martinelli will aim to extend his record when the competition resumes next year with fixtures at Inter Milan and a home game against Kairat Almaty.
While surpassing the Champions League record held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored in 11 straight games between 2017 and 2018, remains a distant target, Martinelli is now within reach of Arsenal’s all-time European scoring streak. Only Ian Wright (eight consecutive matches in 1994/95) and Thierry Henry (six in 1999/2000) sit above him.
Martinelli’s latest goal also marked his 51st different scoring appearance for the club, continuing his unique record of never having lost a match in which he has scored. As Arsenal maintain their perfect run in Europe, Martinelli has firmly established himself not just as a goalscorer but as a talisman capable of delivering historic moments on the biggest stage.
