Gabriel Martinelli was the toast of the town after Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday night.While the final score might not have made for great reading if you're an Arsenal fan, the fact that Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino popped up with second-half goals shouldn't take away from all the positives on display.The simple fact of the matter is that the Gunners really took the game to Liverpool and could easily have set the wheels in motion for an upset if it wasn't for some brilliant goalkeeping from Alisson Becker.
Arsenal battle away vs Liverpool
In the end, it wasn't to be, but Arsenal fans should still take stock of the fact that the club is moving in the right direction under Mikel Arteta - and the performance of Martinelli was a great testament to that.
The new focus on young, energetic and hungry players at Emirates Stadium has felt like a breath of fresh air with the Gunners seldom going a single game without throwing the kitchen sink at their opponents.
And while that do-or-die attitude is channeled through everyone from Emile Smith Rowe to Bukayo Saka, Martinelli is arguably the greatest flag-bearer of all for Arteta's new wave in north London.
Martinelli's fighting spirit vs Liverpool
The Brazilian sensation gave Trent Alexander-Arnold a torrid time with his silky skills and intricate dribbling that almost culminated in one of the finest Premier League assists that we've seen in a long time.
However, arguably the pièce de résistance of Martinelli's impressive performance came when he showed exactly the type of desire and fight to keep the ball that both managers and supporters adore.
Having received the ball from Kieran Tierney late in the first-half, Arsenal's boy wonder was like a dog with a bone in his quest to protect possession from Jordan Henderson, Luis Diaz and Joel Matip.
As Gary Neville said so brilliantly on commentary, Martinelli not only showed superb footwork to pull it off, but also the dogged determination to put multiple tackles in. So, be sure to check out the moment down below:
He's just a dream player, isn't he?
Fan reaction
A dream player for managers and fans
The simple fact of the matter is that the exact attitude Martinelli displayed in the clip perfectly summarises what managers love to channel into their teams and fans adore applauding from the terraces.
In English football especially, you're only ever going to go so far wrong when you're showing the kind of fight and mettle that gets supporters cheering your name regardless of whether you're winning or losing.
It really is no wonder that Jurgen Klopp is such an unabashed admirer with the 20-year-old's tenacious dribbling and relentless pressing coming straight out of the Liverpool playbook.
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And while that might not have been enough to prevent the Reds from keeping the pace with Manchester City, Martinelli can still hold his head up high after yet another superb performance.