It was obvious what scoring against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday meant to Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes.
The Arsenal players converged on a delighted Gabriel Magalhaes on Sunday, after he had nodded Mikel Arteta’s side ahead in the second half.
Scoring in a North London Derby is always a big deal for any player.
Thierry Henry recently recalled scoring against Spurs, and it was clearly a strike that meant a great deal to the Frenchman.
Gabriel has developed something of a habit of scoring for the Gunners. The Brazilian has popped up with plenty of important strikes for the North London outfit. In fact, no Premier League player has scored more often than Gabriel from non-penalty set-piece situations in the last four years.
- READ MORE: What is the North London Derby? Everything you need to know about the Arsenal and Tottenham rivalry
Gabriel Magalhaes dedicates Arsenal goal to Memphis Depay
As part of his celebrations against Spurs, Gabriel put a finger in each ear, as if to block out the sound of the crowd.
After the match, he took to Instagram and posted a picture of himself in this pose, along with the caption: “MEMPHISSSSS.”
This is in reference to former Manchester United forward Memphis Depay, who has previously celebrated in a similar fashion, and recently made a switch to Brazilian outfit Corinthians.
The Dutch forward only spent one full season on the books at Old Trafford, and struggled to adapt to English football. He has since spent time with Lyon, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal fans hail Gabriel after Tottenham Hotspur display
Gabriel was brilliant at both ends of the pitch against Spurs.
His importance to Arsenal can scarcely be overstated, and plenty of the club’s supporters have since taken to X to extol the virtues of the centre-back in the wake of their derby day triumph.
One fan said: “Big Gabi is a monster in front of goal.”
Another stated: “Such a colossal player for the club. Where would we be without Big Gabi?”
One added: “He’s a great box defender. He’s flawless in those situations. Arteta being a super pragmatic coach at times really suits Gabriel.”
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