Declan Rice and Kai Havertz are among the Arsenal stars who praised Gabriel Magalhaes.
Brazilian central defender Gabriel Magalhaes had a big impact on Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
With the Gunners having lost their last three games, it was crucial that the north London club got back to winning ways against the Eagles.
Gabriel made the perfect start, rising highest in the box in the 11th minute and redirecting a header from a corner into the back of the net.
Before half-time, the 26-year-old headed another shot from a corner. This time, Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson headed his long-range shot into his own net, meaning it was officially registered as an own goal.
While Gabriel obviously deserves a lot of praise for his role in both goals and the Gunners’ victory, Mikel Arteta also took time after the game to acknowledge Arsenal coach Nicolas Jover.
A number of Gabriel’s teammates were also keen to praise his contribution against the South London team. Declan Rice posted a post on Instagram after the final whistle, calling the six-time Brazil international a “monster”, while Kai Havertz labelled the defender a “beast”.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright expressed his delight at the centre-back’s contribution, while Edu, the club’s former centre-back and current sporting director, also sent a message, saying Gabriel’s success was “well deserved”.
Arsenal must now move on from this result and achieve a longer winning streak to truly get back on track for the Premier League title. Arteta’s players will take a lot of confidence from this convincing win, which they need to carry into the next game.