Jorginho and Gabriel Magalhaes were both pivotal for Arsenal in their vital win against Aston Villa in the Premier League. Gabriel made an incredible tackle to stop Leon Bailey, with Jorginho then sending a fierce effort just a few moments later against the bar that then struck the back of Emi Martinez's head before bouncing into the back of the net to put the Gunners ahead deep into stoppage time.
A deadline day move made by Arsenal to sign Jorginho from Chelsea was criticised, especially after his displays in west London in the 2022/23 season. The Italian endured a nightmare debut against Everton but he has responded emphatically with composed midfield performances against Manchester City and Villa.
Following the game, Mikel Arteta was full of praise for his January signing, particularly for his goal and what he does on the pitch for others. "I certainly didn’t see that quality of him - scoring from deep," Arteta said. "The biggest quality he has is that he makes other people look better, better than what you actually are.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta heaps praise on Arsenal star who 'makes everyone else better' as £45m issue solved
"He’s made a huge impact already on the boys and the staff and hopefully our fans. I hope people can see that because I thought he was tremendous today."
Several consistent performers from the first half of the season have come under fire in recent weeks with Granit Xhaka, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel all facing criticism. Xhaka and Zinchenko endured difficult first halves in Birmingham with Villa going into the break ahead.
Gabriel was also outlined as being at fault for City's second goal at Emirates Stadium in the key title clash and a tight offside also prevented him from conceding a penalty. Erling Haaland managed to use his pace and strength to get the wrong side of Gabriel, who was forced to bring him to the floor.
In the days following the clash, Gabriel was specifically pinpointed as a weak point of the Arsenal team but the 25-year-old responded in the best possible way. Faced by Bailey, Gabriel stood his ground and chose the perfect moment to stick a foot in, which if mistimed would have led to a Villa goal or a penalty.
Celebrating the victory, Jorginho posted a picture of him and Gabriel to Instagram. The image showed the duo celebrating the victory with the former Chelsea midfielder captioning the post 'boraaaaaa @_gabrielmagalhaes *fist emoji* *muscle emoji* *red heart emoji*.
The word 'bora' translates from Portuguese to English as incredible which certainly describes the defensive shift Gabriel put in during the games final stages.
READ NEXT:
Why Jorginho shouted at Ben White as Arsenal's title hopes restored following Arteta masterclass
Arsenal player ratings vs Aston Villa as White good, Saka shows fight, Martinelli impact
Jorginho silences critics, glorious Martinez – Arsenal winners and losers from Aston Villa win
Arsenal fans react to Granit Xhaka and Oleksandr Zinchenko displays vs Villa
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium
