Stats show how £100k-a-week ‘Godzilla’ was so dominant for Arsenal in Liverpool win

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Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes produced a dominant display against Liverpool on Sunday. 

Gabriel Magalhaes played a huge role in stifling the Liverpool attack, as Arsenal ran out 3-1 winners in this crucial Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium. 

The record of the match will show that Gabriel scored an own-goal, but that fact alone does not begin to tell the full story of the Brazilian’s performance against the Reds.

For a start, Gabriel himself can hardly be held accountable for that own goal. The fault for that concession lies with David Raya and William Saliba, who both had a chance to clear the ball, before it ricocheted in off of the 26-year-old.

There are far more telling stats that can be used to give an impression of Gabriel’s display. According to data from Sofascore, he competed for seven aerial duels, more than any other defender on the pitch. No Arsenal player made more clearances in the match than Gabriel’s three, either. The £100,000-a-week star also made three tackles. Of all the other players on the pitch, for both sides, only Declan Rice made more, with four.

Gabriel was equally impressive on the ball. He recorded the best pass completion rate of any Arsenal defender, with 90% of his passes finding their intended target. He also completed more accurate long balls than any of his teammates, with five.

Gabriel Magalhaes deserves share of Arsenal spotlight

Club legend Ian Wright has previously described Gabriel as being “like Godzilla” at the back for Arsenal. That is certainly an apt description for the titanic impact he made against the Merseyside outfit. In perhaps the Gunners’ most important match of the season so far, when they risked falling out of the title race altogether in the event of a defeat, the six-cap Brazil international stepped up to the plate and shone.

Since the start of last season, Gabriel and Saliba have forged one of the most solid and reliable centre-back partnerships in the Premier League. The young Frenchman often takes the spotlight as far as plaudits from the media are concerned. However, Gabriel deserves to be equally lauded, and Mikel Arteta will be well aware of how much the former Lille man contributes to this team.

If Arsenal are to stand any chance at all of being crowned champions this season, then it is vital that Gabriel, like Saliba, can remain fit and firing on all cylinders for the rest of the campaign.