Gabriel Martinelli gets dream Arsenal scenario as secret text before Man City heroics revealed

Gabriel Martinelli's partner Isabella Rousso has shared her heartwarming exchange with the Arsenal star before the clash against Manchester City. The 24-year-old winger salvaged a crucial point for Mikel Arteta's side at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon, lobbing Gianluigi Donnarumma in stoppage time.

Martinelli had fired the Gunners to victory earlier in the week, coming off the bench to score against Athletic Club in the Champions League. Despite his impressive performance, the Brazil international failed to force himself into the weekend's starting lineup.

After finding out that he was going to start on the bench, Martinelli broke the news to his girlfriend. Rousso comforted the Arsenal star, insisting that he'll leave his mark when called upon by Arteta.

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"You'll catch the tired guys in the 20th minute and score a goal, you'll see," wrote Martinelli's partner. Lo and behold, Rousso was right, and she uploaded a screenshot of their exchange shortly after the game.

"Let's go. Proud, proud, proud, proud, you deserve it," she wrote on her Instagram story, captioning a picture of Martinelli on her television screen. The Arsenal winger also marked the result with a post on social media, which eclipsed 100,000 likes in just a couple of hours.

Rousso was one of the first to leave a comment, posting three fire emojis. Arteta was very complimentary of Martinelli in his post-match press conference.

Speaking to reporters after the game, he lauded the Brazilian for his impact off the bench. The Arsenal boss said: "We had very good momentum and we needed to time that well.

"He's in a really good moment again after the game he had in Bilbao and that period of time probably he deserved more, but his energy again, his attitude was really good and that's why he made the impact that he made again for the team."

Arteta added: "We want consistency on that, for every player that doesn’t start the game to be able to do that, because you see how long the match is and the level that it requires to beat them, and we're very happy with him."

On the Gunners' squad depth, he said: "Well, there are a lot of factors, obviously. The first one is their performance level and the emotional state that they are in. That's one.

"After that, it’s what we believe is the best thing in relation to the opponent and the type of game that we predict. And after that, there is as well chemistry and relationships that make each other better and we need to understand it."