Arsenal star Gabriel Magalhaes has been one of the best performers in the team this season, and he has reached a new level of brilliance.
The Brazilian was excellent for large parts of last season after initially making a few errors at the beginning of the campaign, but he has been almost flawless since, and has arguably been one of the best players in the Premier League.
Gabriel is often underrated, with his partner William Saliba taking the plaudits for Arsenal’s excellent defensive setup, but the 26-year-old has certainly improved, and is now a rock at the back and a key threat in attacking set pieces.
Former Arsenal star and analyst Adrian Clarke has now highlighted how Gabriel has improved since the start of last season, and even made a comparison to Arsenal legend Tony Adams.
Gabriel Magalhaes draws Tony Adams comparisons after improvement
Speaking on the Handbrake Off Podcast, Clarke explained how the presence of Oleksandr Zinchenko as an inverted left-back has meant that Gabriel has had to shift over to the left flank at times, and his ability to charge forward is reminiscent of how Adams used to get forward.
“I wouldn’t want to play against him if I was a striker,” he stated.
“He’s always sort of looking to nip in front, he’s touch-tight quite a lot. I also think this season, and last season as well but with Zinchenko coming infield, he’s had to basically play at left back in possession, which is something that maybe he wouldn’t have experienced too often previously.
“I think that’s helped develop his passing range. I think his distribution has improved, because of that we’ve seen him step forward a lot more often. We’ve seen him go on the charge a little bit like Tony Adams used to back in the day.
“He’s not afraid to do that now, and because teams are dropping off deeper and deeper against us, his touches are now higher up the pitch, so it’s really important that he builds that chemistry with Gabriel Martinelli in particular, and I think that they’ve really struck up a nice understanding.”
Gabriel is Arsenal’s most improved player
Gabriel was a strong performer last season, but he has reached an entirely new level of performance on the ball, whilst remaining colossal defensively.
He has arguably been Arsenal’s best player this season along Declan Rice, and out of the starting XI from last season, he is perhaps the player who has raised his performances the most.
Arsenal’s defence is now the best in the Premier League, and Arteta’s side are the best set-piece scorers in the league, with Gabriel playing a vital part at both ends of the pitch, and the centre-back now deserves more recognition for his impact on the team.
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