Although it’s been more than a year since Granit Xhaka left Arsenal, his name is still often mentioned around the Emirates Stadium.
After 297 appearances, two FA Cup wins and several controversies, Xhaka will always have a special place in Arsenal folklore.
Eventually, Arsenal have now replaced the 32-year-old with Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, who will both get chances as Mikel Arteta’s left-sided number eight.
And if Xhaka was watching on during Arsenal’s brilliant 5-1 win over Sporting CP on Tuesday evening, he would surely have been impressed by Rice.
That being said, it was Gabriel’s celebration after putting Arsenal 3-0 ahead that may have caught Xhaka’s attention the most.
Gabriel Magalhaes takes his chance to get revenge for Granit Xhaka
Gabriel stole Viktor Gyokeres’ mask celebration, one that has become famous amid talk of him returning to England.
On the face of it, it just seemed as if Gabriel was revelling in the moment, an instinctive reaction given the stadium he was in.
However, there might be more to it, especially when you remember what happened between Arsenal and Sporting CP towards the end of the 2022/23 season.
Xhaka scored in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Sporting at the Emirates, a Europa League knockout tie which the Gunners ultimately lost on penalties.
When putting Arsenal 1-0 ahead on the night, Xhaka put his thumb to his nose to celebrate, something that was then mimicked by the Sporting players once they had won.
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And perhaps Gabriel, who played all 120 minutes of that defeat, took a moment to share a little bit of retaliation.
Gabriel has also taken aim at Ivan Toney and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
As much as Arsenal fans appreciate Gabriel’s performances on the pitch, they’ve probably also got a lot of time for his conduct off of it over the years.
If Gabriel was seeking revenge for Xhaka against Sporting, well it wouldn’t be the first time he’s partaken in some light-hearted fun.
After Ivan Toney’s infamous ‘nice kick about with the boys’ post after Brentford beat Arsenal back on the opening day of the 2021/22 season, Gabriel eventually replied.
Gabriel himself posted his own version of the tweet the following year, when Arsenal had just won 3-0 against Brentford away from home.
X was also the platform the Arsenal defender chose to take a swipe at former teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang too.
Preparing to face Arsenal whilst playing for Chelsea in 2022, Aubameyang caught a lot of attention when he said, “Arsenal… it’s nothing personal. I’m back. I’m blue. I’m ready. Let’s go!”
Something Gabriel also mocked after a poor Aubameyang showing.
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