Arsenal have a surprise £50m Gabriel replacement

Regardless of flying excessive within the Premier League and Champions League, it looks like Arsenal cannot catch a break this season.

Mikel Arteta’s facet have performed much better soccer than they did final yr, however have been simply as unfortunate, if no more so, with regards to accidents.

For instance, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres, and Noni Madueke are simply a few of their stars who’ve been compelled to sit down on the sidelines, or nonetheless are.

After which, if issues could not get any worse, the Gunners are actually going to be with out Gabriel Magalhães for as much as two months, though Arteta would possibly simply have a shocking alternative in thoughts for the Brazilian.

Arsenal’s file when Gabriel doesn’t play

It is no secret that, due to his influence in each penalty areas, Gabriel has develop into one among Arsenal’s most essential gamers in recent times.

The truth is, it is this potential that led Sky Sports activities’ Jamie Carragher to counsel he may “be seen as essentially the most influential participant within the Premier League” solely final month.

Nevertheless, how important is the massive Brazilian to Arteta’s facet? Whereas that is a reasonably tough query to reply, an honest manner of approaching it could be to take a look at how the staff have fared when he isn’t been within the facet during the last two and a bit years.

Beginning with the 23/24 season, then, and throughout all competitions that yr, the previous LOSC Lille star made 50 appearances, 48 of which have been begins, by which he scored 4 objectives, supplied one help and averaged 2.16 factors per sport.

There have been solely two matches by which he did not seem: a draw in opposition to Fulham and a win over Sheffield United, that means the staff averaged simply 2 factors per sport with out him.

Nevertheless, a two-game pattern dimension is relatively paltry, not like final season, when he was absent for 16 video games, of which the membership received simply eight, drew 5 and misplaced three, that means the Gunners averaged simply 1.81 factors per sport with out the Brazilian within the staff.

How did they fare when he was enjoying? Effectively, throughout all competitions, the Sao Paulo-born titan made 42 appearances, by which he scored 5 objectives, supplied three assists and averaged 1.98 factors per sport.

Due to this fact, whereas there may be not an enormous drop in factors per sport for Arsenal with out Gabriel within the facet, there may be nonetheless a noticeable one, and with video games in opposition to Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Chelsea arising, that could be a fear.

Nevertheless, Arteta has greater than sufficient replacements for his monster centre-back, together with one who may come as a little bit of a shock.

Arsenal’s shock Gabriel alternative

The consensus amongst most Arsenal followers for the time being appears to be that both Riccardo Calafiori or Cristhian Mosquera could be the perfect replacements for Gabriel this weekend.

The previous has been in high quality kind all season, and the latter has proven glimpses of actual expertise when he is stepped in.

Nevertheless, whereas both participant would make complete sense, one other, extra shocking possibility Arteta may go together with is Ben White.

Sure, the previous Brighton & Hove Albion man does really feel like one thing of a forgotten man for the time being, and has spent most of his time on the membership enjoying right-back, however the £50m signing may are available in and do a job on Sunday.

In spite of everything, whereas he hasn’t performed there persistently for a while – his final begin within the center was again in October 2024 – the Englishman was signed as a centre-back and spent everything of the 21/22 season enjoying there, and enjoying properly.

The truth is, the one cause he was moved to the correct was as a result of William Saliba was lastly given a go, and Gabriel was under no circumstances suited to enjoying at full-back.

Furthermore, by enjoying the Poole-born ace there, Calafiori will not should vacate a place he has been unbelievable in all yr, a younger Mosquera will not be thrown into probably the most tense video games of the season, and the identical could possibly be mentioned for Piero Hincapie.

Lastly, and that is significantly pertinent for the sport in opposition to Spurs, the 28-year-old is, within the phrases of journalist Charles Watts, a “grasp of the darkish arts.”

In different phrases, he could possibly be the proper participant to get beneath the pores and skin of the Spurs gamers and both throw them off their sport and even get them despatched off.

Moreover, he has a monitor file of creating life significantly troublesome for Guglielmo Vicario.

Finally, it could be a shock and one thing of a danger, besides, Arteta ought to look to start out White at centre-back for Arsenal whereas Gabriel is out.