Journalist Kaya Kaynak has now claimed that Gabriel Magalhaes is something of an unsung hero at Arsenal.
Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes has been in excellent form this season.
However, it is fair to say that the Brazilian’s campaign did not get off to the most auspicious start. Amid rumours linking him with a departure from the Emirates Stadium, Gabriel was benched for the first few matches of Arsenal’s Premier League season. During this period, Mikel Arteta experimented with using Thomas Partey at right-back.
Once Gabriel’s future was secured, though, and Partey had succumbed to injury, the defender was restored to the regular starting XI, alongside William Saliba in the heart of the defence. Since then, the £27 million former Lille man has not looked back.
The Gunners have been imperious defensively this season, boasting the best record in the Premier League in this regard. With 24 matches played in the division, the north London club have only seen their goal breached on 22 occasions.
Gabriel and Saliba have played a huge part in this solidity. However, it probably fair to say that the Frenchman gets more than the lion’s share of the limelight.
Does Gabriel Magalhaes deserve more credit at Arsenal?
That is certainly the opinion of Kaya Kaynak. Speaking on The Arsenal Beat podcast, the reporter said, “Gabriel Magalhaes is the most underrated player in the Arsenal team…What’s underestimated about Gabriel Magalhaes, I think maybe, everyone accepts that he is fantastic defensively, they accept he’s strong, they accept he’s a leader, they accept he’s great in the air.”
“But the one thing he never seems to have been able to get over is this, sort of, unwritten assumption that there’s a rick in him. That there’s an error never too far around the corner, and obviously that has been the case in the past…I think maybe people have had that with them as a bit of a legacy of what’s gone past, but interestingly enough, this season the amount of errors he has conceded leading to goals has been zero. So, he’s improved that, he’s cut that out of his game.”
“There’s all this talk about Saliba being one of the best defenders in the Premier League, and I think that’s right…But I don’t think William Saliba would be as good as he is if he didn’t have Gabriel Magalhaes next to him.”
The 26-year-old has been remarkably consistent this season. Arteta can rely upon him to keep his position well, compete strongly in duels, and put his body on the line when required. Whilst he may lack a degree of Saliba’s eye-catching slickness, he more than makes up for this with his grit and physicality.
As the senior member of this impressive centre-back pairing, Gabriel has also grown as a leader. He has helped the 22-year-old to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, and the pair clearly have great respect for one another. Saliba certainly has not shied away from heaping praise on Gabriel in the past.
Despite the debate around Gabriel’s future at the start of the season, it is now unthinkable that Arteta would willingly sanction his exit. Arsenal fans will certainly be hoping to see him and Saliba remaining resolute together at the back for many more years to come.
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