Gabriel Magalhaes has been a powerhouse at Arsenal this season, but one of his teammates is breathing down his neck.
Gabriel has arguably been Arsenal’s best player this season, acting not only as a defensive extraordinaire but also as a goalscoring presence.
It’s difficult to fault the Brazilian, who, alongside William Saliba, has formed one of the best central defensive partnerships in the world.
Though Saliba and Gabriel have been described as the Premier League’s best, Ian Wright has reason to believe that a different Arsenal defender could top the duo right now.
Ian Wright says Jurrien Timber is close to being the best defender in the Premier League
Arsenal’s record-matching defence is packed with incredible depth in quality, with the four starters earning their places this season.
Alongside Gabriel and Saliba are Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber, two full-backs who are doing sensational things right now for Arsenal.
On the Stick To Football podcast, Gary Neville and Wright were discussing who the best defender in the Premier League currently is.
“Best defender? Gabriel, do you reckon?” Neville asked
The Arsenal legend responded by bringing Timber into the debate, “Timber’s pushing him close. Obviously, Gabi scores the goals,” Wright said.
It’s been a truly sensational campaign so far for Timber, who Neville thinks is one of the world’s best, let alone the Premier League’s.
Timber or Gabriel, Arsenal won’t mind who is thought to be the best, as the Gunners have both of them at their disposal.
Erik ten Hag knows why Timber is such a good defender
Given how impeccable Timber has been this season, it’s so easy to forget that it wasn’t long ago that the Dutchman was sidelined for a year with an ACL injury.
After tearing his ACL on his Premier League debut, Timber had to fight fitness to return and instantly adapt to the English top flight, something he did with ease.
One figure who knows what makes the 24-year-old so special is Erik ten Hag, who coached Timber at Ajax before his stint at Manchester United.
Following Arsenal’s win over Real Madrid, Ten Hag described Timber as a ‘soldier’, noting that his proactive approach is what makes him so difficult to beat.
“Jurrien is a soldier. Ruthless, and he knows that in top football it is ‘eat or be eaten’. That’s how he sees it. He is proactive, he doesn’t wait.”
It’s a joy to have the Netherlands international in the squad, who is acting as the benchmark for the rest of the Premier League.
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