Player Focus: Recent Gabriel Outings Shows He's Ready for Regular Arsenal Spot

January is always a tough time to sign for a new team, regardless of the calibre of personnel. Managers already boast a settled squad and a favoured starting XI, making it difficult for new arrivals to force their way into the team. As such, players more commonly move on loan during the winter transfer window rather than on a permanent deal with the risk of a lack of regular action high. Juan Cuadrado is perhaps the perfect example of a permanent arrival flattering to deceive following his big money move to Chelsea at the turn of the year. 

The Colombian signed for the Blues from Fiorentina in January, yet struggled to cope with Jose Mourinho’s requirements before moving to Juventus on a season-long loan this summer. Cuadrado failed to usurp Willian in the Chelsea XI before joining the Serie A champions as the Premier League giants acted swiftly to get the attacker off their books. He wasn’t the only big money move in England’s top tier back in January, with Manchester City signing Wilfried Bony and Arsenal moving for Gabriel Paulista. 

Bony plays second fiddle to Sergio Aguero at the Etihad Stadium, of that there is no doubt, but Gabriel may feel he is now in with a shot of establishing himself as a first team regular for the Gunners. The Brazilian was third choice in the Arsenal pecking order at the beginning of the season, with regular centre-back duo Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny preferred to the 24-year-old and rightly so. Mertsesacker and Koscielny have been Arsene Wenger’s first choice defensive pairing over the previous two seasons, so it was little shock that the Frenchman kept with the duo at the beginning of the current campaign. 

However, prior to the recent 0-0 draw with Liverpool, Mertesacker succumbed to illness, while Koscielny missed out with a minor back problem as Wenger was forced to field a makeshift centre-back pairing in the form of Gabriel and youngster Calum Chambers. It was the first time the duo lined up alongside one another in the Premier League and it almost proved costly in the opening exchanges as both players appeared shaky at the back. However, once Gabriel got his bearings, the former Villarreal defender started to look every bit the quality centre-back Arsenal signed back in January. 

Only man of the match Petr Cech (8.90), Francis Coquelin (8.10) and Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet (8.00) gained a better WhoScored rating than Gabriel (7.90) in the stalemate at the Emirates Stadium. He followed that up with an impressive showing against Newcastle, gaining a WhoScored rating of 7.83, though the Magpies’ lackadaisical attack owing to Aleksandar Mitrovic’s early sending off contributed to this. Nevertheless, Gabriel dealt with any danger he faced with consummate ease and, as such, is currently Arsenal’s highest rated player according to WhoScored, with a rating of 7.87. 

While Mertesacker is likely to be available for selection following the international break, Wenger could persist with Gabriel on the back of his two impressive showings in the German’s absence. Arsenal, it’s fair to say, appeared a more solid outfit with the Brazilian at the heart of the defence, having looked vulnerable in the opening two games of the season against West Ham and Crystal Palace. It’s no coincidence that the Gunners’ two clean sheets of the season have come with Gabriel starting. 

An average of 3 tackles per game ranks only behind Francis Coquelin (4) of all Arsenal players, while 2.5 interceptions per match is currently the fourth best of every player at the club. With Koscielny (3.3) leading the way for interceptions of all Arsenal players, it’s feasible to suggest he and Gabriel have the makings of a strong centre-back partnership for the club, with Mertesacker soon to be the wrong side of 30. The pairing's commendable reading of the game enables them to calmly snuff out danger, in the process helping build attacks from the back. 

Arsenal have averaged more possession (61.7%) than any other team in the Premier League this season, with Wenger favouring a more patient approach to attacking, as has been Arsenal’s precedent since the Frenchman took charge of the club back in 1996. As one would expect, Gabriel and Koscielny both abide to the demands of their manager with aplomb. The latter boasts the second best pass success rate (94.1%) of players to make at least one Premier League start this season, while the former runs him close with an excellent 92.1%. 

This matches the Gunners’ statistically calculated WhoScored styles of play of ‘short passes’ and ‘possession football’, with Arsenal retaining the ball as much as possible as a means of attacking the opposition. Both Gabriel and Koscielny are well-equipped to make Wenger’s gameplan work, which they both do to an extremely high standard. 

Sir Alex Ferguson, back in 2010 ahead of Manchester United’s Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich, stated “strong at the back, strong as a team” in praise of his defence of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Edwin van der Sar. The idea is that a solid backline provides the benchmark to success, with that ringing true for any great team. A trio of Gabriel, Koscielny and Petr Cech may not be quite as effective as the former United triumvirate, but it’s a solid base for Wenger to build on. 

Fans may have been disgruntled at the lack of movement in the transfer market, with Cech the only addition to a squad that arguably required another striker and a midfielder to ease the burden on Coquelin, but with Gabriel quickly emerging as a solid centre-back, supporters needn’t fear a lack of defensive solidity.

Do you think Gabriel deserves a starting spot after impressive back-to-back outings for Arsenal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below