Following the news of Gabriel Jesus’ injury and subsequent operation, Mikel Arteta was hoping to see a strong reaction from his players that could be relied upon more than ever over the coming weeks.
As Arsenal went into their Dubai Super Cup match against Lyon on Thursday, Jesus was back at home recovering from successful surgery on his knee which could keep him on the sidelines for up to three months.
It means the Gunners will be without their star man for a number of important fixtures as they look to maintain their fine start to the Premier League season when it resumes later this month.
READ MORE: Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus posts major injury update on Instagram after knee surgery
The injury to Jesus is undoubtedly a huge blow for Arteta, but the Spaniard’s worries would have been eased slightly thanks to an impressive showing against Ligue 1 side Lyon. Goals from Eddie Nketiah, Fabio Vieira and Gabriel Magalhaes secured a 3-0 win, but it is the latter who continues to prove why he could be just as important as his Brazilian teammate.
Gabriel met Martin Odegaard’s corner in the first half to put Arsenal one-nil up, which means he has now scored seven goals since this time last year. The centre-back, who recently signed a new long-term deal, also scored crucial goals in narrow wins over Fulham and Chelsea earlier this season.
His most obvious threat comes at set-pieces, occasionally jumping highest and heading towards goal. However, Gabriel also has a tendency to calmly find the back of the net with his feet if the ball falls to him inside the 18-yard box.
In fact, the defender has scored nine goals from corner situations in the Premier League, the most of any player in the competition since he joined prior to the 2020/21 campaign.
These statistics, along with his goal in Dubai, prove that Gabriel can play a key role in Arsenal’s attacking phases, handing Arteta a much-needed and potentially crucial goal threat in Jesus’ absence.
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