Declan Rice heaped praise on one of his Arsenal teammates in the wake of their 4-1 win against Newcastle United.
Declan Rice has now given his verdict on Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes.
Gabriel almost opened the scoring for the Gunners against the Magpies on Saturday night. The Brazilian centre-back met Bukayo Saka’s corner with his head. Whilst his initial effort was well saved by Loris Karius, the ball was then inadvertently diverted over the line by Sven Botman. This marked the 700th time that Arsenal have found the back of the net in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium.
Whilst the goal will not go down on the record as being Gabriel’s, it did provide another example of the threat that he poses from set-pieces. The 26-year-old has scored four times in the Premier League this season, which is a very impressive return for a defender.
As well as being a weapon in the final third, Gabriel has also been a remarkably consistent presence at the back for Mikel Arteta’s side this season. The Arsenal defence has been in imperious form in recent weeks, and the six-cap Brazil international has been a huge part of that consistent solidity.
He has formed a fantastic partnership with William Saliba in the heart of the Gunners’ rearguard, and it has even been said that Gabriel is Arsenal’s most underrated player.
Declan Rice shocked by quality of Arsenal teammate Gabriel Magalhaes after Newcastle win
Rice has certainly been taken aback by the former Lille man’s quality. Speaking to TNT Sports after the win over the Tyneside outfit, the midfielder admitted, “I think Saliba is unbelievable, obviously heard about all the talk of him before I come here and the one who’s really surprised me is actually Gabriel. He’s so aggressive, so strong, really wants it all the time, never loses a duel.”
“When you’ve got two centre-backs like that who want it, play aggressive, it really helps and gives you confidence.”
Saliba often hogs the headlines, and understandably so. The Frenchman is a superb defender, and his composure and quality is all the more impressive given he is still just 22-years-old. However, it should not be forgotten just how much Gabriel himself brings to this Arsenal team. Arteta will be hoping that he can keep this pair at the club, and playing alongside each other, for many years to come, as there is good reason to believe that both can just keep on getting better and better.
If Arsenal are to hit their targets for this season, and be crowned Premier League champions come the end of the campaign, then Gabriel and Saliba will have played a monumental role in that success. It is now vital that the duo are able to remain fit and in form. After all, it was the loss of Saliba to injury in the latter portion of last season that sparked the collapse of the Gunners’ title bid on that occasion.
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