Ljungberg: I Was Somewhat Surprised That So Many Arsenal Fans Wanted Martinelli Gone

Ljungberg questioned the way Arsenal fans treated Martinelli, accusing them of “forgetting” the contributions the attacker made to the club before leaving this summer.

Former Arsenal winger Ljungberg said while discussing Martinelli on the Viaplay programme: “A Brazilian player who works so hard, and considering his age and his statistics on the pitch, he is certainly not a cheap player.”

“And the club sold him for quite a high price. So I was somewhat surprised when so many fans were determined to see him leave.

At the time I was thinking: ‘This is a very good player, and you only want to get rid of him.’ But it seemed that the vast majority of people thought that way. The club eventually let him go and also received a considerable transfer fee.”

“Fans may sometimes forget how much he has given to this club, and how many important goals he has scored over the years.”

Although somewhat unhappy with the attitude of some fans toward Martinelli, Ljungberg said he could understand Arsenal's decision to sign Tzolis as a replacement.

In Ljungberg's view, the Greece international, who was signed for £34 million, may have stronger tactical awareness than the former left-sided player he replaced.

The Swedish great, who won the Premier League twice with Arsenal, added: “When it comes to Martinelli, he sometimes makes some irrational decisions on the pitch.

He plays at a very frantic pace, and he occasionally makes mistakes when handling the ball, which can frustrate many fans.

Defensively, his performances also sometimes fall short of the required standard.

But Tzolis seems more… I don't want to say he is easier to manage, but his tactical awareness is stronger. He will do the defensive work that needs to be done, and his positioning is also in the right areas.”