Arsenal started the new Premier League season with two clean sheets, but David Raya finally conceded on Sunday afternoon.
Mikel Arteta has turned Arsenal into a defensive powerhouse in recent times.
The Gunners won their first two games of the season without conceding a single goal, and looked set for another clean sheet on Sunday afternoon.
Dominik Szoboszlai had other ideas, firing a stunning free-kick beyond David Raya to hand Liverpool a 1-0 win over Arsenal.
It’s fitting that it took such a special goal to break down Arsenal’s back line, with the Gunners looking almost impenetrable at times in open play.
Gabriel of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford.
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Rio Ferdinand on Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes
William Saliba was substituted with an injury in the first half against Liverpool, but summer signing Cristhian Mosquera slotted right in alongside Gabriel Magalhaes.
Saliba receives plenty of praise, but Gabriel just keeps taking his game to new levels and is one of the top defenders in the world right now.
The Brazilian is not only strong and reliable at the back, but he also poses a serious goal threat from Arsenal’s lethal set pieces.
Rio Ferdinand has now praised Gabriel while speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, admitting that he loves watching the Arsenal defender in action.
Ferdinand praised Gabriel as ’so aggressive’, and admitted that he once told him to become less emotional in order to become a better player.
Gabriel didn’t respond well at the time, but Ferdinand believes that he would now accept that the advice was actually bang on.
Ferdinand added that Gabriel has solved his biggest problem by cutting mistakes out of his game and is benefiting from patience and experience at the highest level.
“You know, actually, who I’ve been enjoying watching lately? Gabriel,” said Ferdinand. “He’s so aggressive. So aggressive.
“I was watching him against Liverpool, and I was thinking… remember when he came back at me in my DMs? Well, what happened, right, he gave away a penalty late on in the season, a few bad decisions, like penalties and stuff. I said that, to become a top defender, he’s got to be less emotional and making them rash decisions in them critical moments in games. The sooner he gets out of his game, he’ll be a better footballer, a better player, and he came back in my DMs, going like ‘you’ve never played the game if that’s how you’re going on, and I respected you, but the way you’re talking about me, it’s not fair’, and I understand that, because I felt like I went pundits spoke about me, but I think as time’s gone on, and I think when I see him again and we chat about it, at some point, I think he’ll go ‘do you know what, actually you were probably right at the time, I just didn’t take it the right way’.
“I watch him now, that’s the only part of his game that’s improved. There’s bits that have improved elsewhere, don’t get me wrong here, but he’s just eradicated silly, rash mistakes, which was holding him back. Experience time, patience for these guys. That’s what you need to give them. Let them flourish,” he added.
Gabriel Magalhaes should not be concerned by Piero Hincapie arrival
Gabriel has now seen Arsenal bring in yet another left-sided defender.
Jakub Kiwior has joined Porto, paving the way for Piero Hincapie to join Arsenal from Bayer Leverkusen.
Hincapie can play as a centre-back or left-back, just like 2024 summer signing Riccardo Calafiori.
Gabriel will be under little pressure, though, with the Brazilian surely one of the first names on Mikel Arteta’s team sheet.
Arteta loves having depth at the back, and while Hincapie’s main function will be as a left-back, the Ecuadorian could fill in for Gabriel if needed.
Make no mistake, though: Gabriel’s ascent towards being one of the elite defenders in the game shows no sign of slowing down, and Hincapie’s arrival surely won’t halt his momentum.