'That was Thierry Henry-ish' - Rio Ferdinand compares Gabriel Martinelli to Arsenal legend after Crystal Palace brace

Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown compared Gabriel Martinelli to Thierry Henry after the Brazilian scored twice as Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 5-0 on Saturday afternoon.

Arsenal were under pressure to get a win to stay in touch with Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa in the race for the Premier League, and two early set-piece goals put the side on the right course for a big win.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Ferdinand said the early goals were important to calm the team and the fans at the Emirates.

He said: “You want to start the game. They controlled much of the opening spells of the game, then they get a set piece and score two goals. When you look at it I think Mikel Arteta will be delighted with the way his team have responded, on the back of two defeats.

“The set-piece coach has done a magnificent job.”

He continued: “Another bad result would have sent this place into hysteria. You’ve got City, who have a relentless pace at this stage of the season.

"They have to stay with it. That goal quietened the whole place, the anxiety. They were able to build on that and at the end of the game they were playing free-flowing football we’re used to seeing Arsenal play.”

Martinelli came on as a late substitute, and the wideman scored two quick goals to seal victory, and with the player coming in from the left to curl the ball around Dean Henderson in goal, the comparison with Henry was easily made.

Ferdinand added: “This is what I liked about him. The defender makes a bad decision... but he has the composure, the calmness in front of goal. That was Thierry Henry-ish, getting in those areas, he was magnificent at doing that.”

Keown concurred, saying: “He was and he does his work off the ball rather than running with it. It was the perfect time to bring him on, spaces were opening up. The second goal he gets is carbon copy, the same sort of space.

“I think it was really good for Martinelli to get confidence to get off the bench. It’s good for the group for him to come on and get those two goals."

Before the match, Ferdinand and Keown had discussed Arsenal's lack of goals, with a big concern being Gabriel Jesus' failure to provide as an out-and-out striker.

Keown said after the win that he had been impressed by Jesus, but suggested that his tendency to drift wide might highlight both a problem and an alternative use for him.

He said: "I like him as a player, I think he's an excellent player. I just feel there's an issue, is he really the predator? Does he want to get into that central position.

"It almost seemed he went back to type there, 'I'll wander into a wide position and then I'll feed somebody else.'

"He doesn't really make the runs into the box. You've got to want to really get there. There's got to be the desire to get to the ball. He can see the space, but for whatever reason he doesn't want to get into that area. Then they don't feed him, they don't give him the ball, but that's an area he just needs to work on.

"It's interesting, Pep [Guardiola] had him for a few years and decided to use him in that right position. That looked like the role he took up for Manchester City. But if he's gonna be Arsenal's centre-forward then there's going to have to be more work done keeping him in that central position. But he works so hard for the team, he's an outstanding talent, but I don't see him as a predator right now."

Ferdinand agreed that Jesus needed to be used more centrally if he was to lead the line for the club, saying: "He's got to want to be inside that 18-yard box. I think he's looked more comfortable in and around these areas, wide areas. A bit of space and the responsibility of goals isn't there."

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