Gabriel Magalhães: Underappreciated, Undervalued and Indispensable

Before the real fun began during Arsenal’s 6-0 dismantling of David Moyes’ West Ham United at the London Stadium back in February, William Saliba wheeled away in celebration to open the scoring from a corner. Closely following the Frenchman was his defensive partner Gabriel, a pair who have delivered statistically the best defensive unit in the Premier League this season. If one had told a match-going Arsenal fan of that idea just three years ago, one would have simply been laughed at.

Gabriel, who signed for Arsenal in the summer of 2020, has been widely unappreciated since his arrival in north London due to a number of unconvincing performances alongside the likes of David Luiz, Rob Holding, and Pablo Mari. It was Saliba who has captured the hearts of Arsenal fans since that famous night in south London just eighteen months ago, in the Gunners’ 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace. Gabriel, the unsung hero in that whirlwind of love surrounding Saliba, has really delivered, and there’s no getting away from that.

Liverpool will enter April in first thanks to a stellar performance from Alexis Mac Allister, who delivered an assist against his former side, registered 5 key passes, and completed 3 tackles & 3 interceptions.@XTPer90 on Liverpool's midfield metronome:https://t.co/JgOpw3a3UVpic.twitter.com/2mqZI6RtOD— Breaking The Lines (@BTLvid) March 31, 2024

The battering of West Ham last weekend saw the Brazilian make his 150th appearance in all competitions for the club, with his goal positioning him as the highest-scoring defender (with 14) in the Premier League since then. The biggest compliment Mikel Arteta can pay his centre-back, besides the consistency and ferociousness of his performances at the very heart of his backline, is the influence his presence has had on the team.