The Martinelli demon is back according to Ben White

Arsenal defender Ben White has never been one for the typical footballer PR script. He famously does not watch the sport in his spare time, preferring to spend his afternoons gardening or doing literally anything else that doesn't involve a ball. So when he drops a comment about his own teammates, the fans tend to listen because they know he isn't just regurgitating what a media trainer told him at 9 a.m. in London Colney.

White recently admitted that there is one player in the Arsenal squad he actively avoids during training sessions. That man is Gabriel Martinelli. White's quote was as blunt as a sliding tackle from a frustrated Sunday League center-back:

I don't like to go near my Arsenal team-mate in training - it's the same for everyone.

This single sentence has sent the Arsenal corner of the internet into a complete meltdown. For a fan base that lives and breathes on the edge of a collective nervous breakdown, this is the kind of high-octane fuel they need as we head into the business end of the season. The suggestion that Martinelli is so relentless in training that his own defenders are terrified of him is exactly the energy the Emirates faithful want to see before the UCL semi-finals kickoff next week.

Reddit is convinced the 2023 version of Martinelli has returned

On r/Gunners, the reaction has been a mix of pure hype and tactical deep dives. One user, 'Arteta-Ball-2026', posted a 500-word breakdown arguing that this proves Martinelli has finally recovered his explosiveness after that lingering ankle issue from last winter. The consensus in the thread seems to be that if Ben White — a man who handles world-class wingers for fun every Saturday — is scared of Martinelli's directness, then the rest of the Premier League should be checking their insurance policies.

"Martinelli with a chip on his shoulder is the most dangerous player in Europe," wrote one commenter. "We saw it in the 2-1 win over City last month where he basically turned Kyle Walker into a spectator for ninety minutes. If White is saying this now, it means Gabi is hitting his peak just as we head into the semis. This isn't just about pace; it's about that Brazilian tenacity that makes defenders second-guess every step."

The fans are obsessing over the specific dynamics of the Arsenal right-hand side versus the left. There is a theory that because White has to defend against Martinelli every day, it’s actually why his own defensive positioning has become so elite. It’s a trial by fire. If you can survive a Tuesday morning tracking Martinelli's inside-out runs, dealing with a random winger from a mid-table side on Saturday feels like a vacation. It's high-level training that breeds high-level results.

The skeptics are pointing at the goal tally

Of course, it wouldn't be football Twitter without a healthy dose of cynicism. While the Arsenal fans are busy planning the parade route, rival supporters and even some cautious Gooners are looking at the cold, hard stats. The main criticism? Martinelli's training ground 'demon' status hasn't always translated to clinical finishing in the big moments this season. One skeptical post on X (formerly Twitter) pointed out that Martinelli has only managed three goals in his last ten appearances.

"I don't care if Ben White is scared of him in training if he's hitting the first man with every cross on match day," one viral post read. "Being a nightmare to defend in a 5-a-side drill is great, but we need that energy to turn into goals against teams that sit in a low block. Martinelli still has this habit of putting his head down and running into a blind alley. White is probably just annoyed because Gabi keeps stepping on his toes during drills."

This is the classic divide in modern football discourse. You have the 'eye test' crowd who see Martinelli’s work rate and the chaos he creates as invaluable, and the 'stat merchants' who think he's becoming a bit of a luxury player. The truth, as usual, probably sits somewhere in the middle. Martinelli is an elite disruptor, but his final ball can still look like a work in progress even in 2026. He can beat three men with a double-stepover but then fire the shot into row Z, leaving Arteta clutching his head on the touchline.

Why Ben White’s opinion actually carries weight

What the skeptics miss is the psychological aspect of what White is saying. Defenders hate players who don't stop. Most wingers will give you a break once they've lost the ball or if the cross doesn't come. Martinelli is the guy who will sprint sixty yards to tackle you after you've cleared it. He is a physical pest. When White says he doesn't like going near him, he's talking about the physical toll of marked-man coverage against a guy with a bottomless gas tank.

As we approach the UCL Semi-Finals on April 28, this 'relentless' version of Martinelli is exactly what Arsenal need to break down elite European defenses. Teams like Real Madrid or Bayern don't give you space to breathe. You have to take it from them. If Martinelli is making life miserable for Ben White in North London, he’s going to be doing the same to veteran full-backs in Munich or Madrid. It’s about the cumulative fatigue he imposes on a backline over ninety minutes.

The verdict: The hype is mostly justified

I’m siding with the enthusiasts on this one. Ben White is too cynical and too detached to praise someone just for the sake of it. If he says Gabi is a problem, then Gabi is a problem. We’ve seen Martinelli's game evolve from a raw teenager to a seasoned pro who knows exactly how to use his body to shield the ball. He’s added a bit of nastiness to his game that was missing two years ago. He isn't just trying to beat you with a trick anymore; he's trying to run through you.

The only valid concern remains the finishing. Arsenal are currently in a position where they cannot afford to waste chances. In the 89th minute of a Champions League semi-final, nobody cares how many stepovers you did in training on Tuesday. You have to put the ball in the net. Martinelli has the tools, he has the 'demon' mentality, and he has the respect of his teammates. Now he just needs to prove Ben White right by terrorizing someone who isn't wearing a red and white shirt.

The fans will continue to argue, the memes will keep flowing, and Ben White will keep avoiding Gabriel Martinelli at all costs. If that leads to a trophy in May, nobody will be complaining about a few missed crosses in April. Arsenal are a team built on these small, intense rivalries within the squad, and the White-Martinelli dynamic is the perfect example of why they’ve stayed at the top of the table for so long this year.

  • Martinelli's top speed this season: 36.2 km/h
  • Successful dribbles per 90: 4.8
  • Distance covered per game: 11.4km

Whether you think he's the next world-beater or just a high-speed chaotic element, you can't deny that Martinelli makes Arsenal a more interesting team to watch. And if you're a defender, you probably just want to be on the same side as him during the practice match.