Arsenal have been criticised for their lack of goals from the strikers this season, despite this Mikel Arteta’s side still came close to a finish in the Champions League. But a big reason for this is due to the Gunners having a surprising source of goals from elsewhere in the squad.
Over the season, Gabriel Magalhaes became the highest goal-scoring centre-back in the Premier League. The Brazilian finished an impressive individual campaign with five goals.
Arsenal have not been accustomed to having goal-scoring defenders in recent years. However, having an extra source of goals can prove crucial in the long run for a team to achieve their targets which has been proven by other clubs in the past.
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John Terry epitomises the importance of your defenders chipping in with goals. The five-time Premier League winner is the all-time Premier League goal-scoring defender with 41. Not only does this show his importance on the pitch, but it also highlights his leadership that he is able to fulfil a job which is not expected of him, and being able to step up when needed.
Gabriel has already shown signs of that this season, which shows he is going in the right direction to becoming a future leader at Arsenal. His five goals this season is the same amount that the whole Arsenal defence, including the full-backs, scored across the whole 2020/2021 campaign.
Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo recently reported that Barcelona had ended their interest in Gabriel after being priced out for the defender. This came before the reports from Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio that Juventus are also seriously considering an offer for the player. The Gunners must ensure they do everything in their power to keep him at the club
The Brazilian is certainly the leader amongst the defence and is always seen orchestrating the backline whenever it is time to defend an opposition set-piece. His influence since coming into the club has been clear and when he isn’t playing, Arsenal’s chances of securing a win or a clean sheet decline by a huge margin.
The £23 million transfer of Gabriel who has arguably been Arteta’s most important player this season is proving to be an absolute steal. Arsenal’s position in terms of being able to fight for a top-four is partly thanks to his defensive heroics.
Gabriel and recent summer signing Ben White are developing an excellent partnership at the heart of the defence. The two players have created a foundation for Arteta’s rebuilding process that further proves Edu is getting his recruitment policy spot on.
If Gabriel can continue being a source of goals for Arsenal, then Arteta’s side will see a major boost in their league position. The Brazilian is continuing to show why he is pivotal for the Gunners.
