Aston Villa director Monchi confirmed he is interested in signing out-of-favour Real Madrid star Arda Guler having previously wanted the playmaker.
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Guler struggling for minutes at Real MadridMonchi reveals Aston Villa's interestTurkish star would prefer to stayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Guler joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2023 after rejecting rivals Barcelona. However, the Turkish star's move to Santiago Bernabeu has failed to bear much fruit so far, as the youngster has clocked only 1,530 minutes in one-and-a-half years at the club.
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As such, transfer rumours have been flying regarding Guler for the upcoming summer window. Aston Villa sporting director Monchi has now confirmed that the Premier League side are keen on Guler.
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Speaking to , Monchi said: "I know him well because he's a player that every sporting director has followed in his career in Turkey. He's a player who met a number of requirements and could be attractive to Aston Villa because we were looking for that position. It's not the same position as Marcos Asensio, but we're more or less looking for that profile between the lines, who can play as a 10 and who can even play on the outside while coming in.
"Personally, I think he's a player with very good technical skills, and I also think he has personality; he shows it when he plays for the national team. There, he takes on roles that aren't associated with his age."
WHAT NEXT FOR GULER?
Guler has admitted he is still keen on staying at Real Madrid next season despite his lack of playing time, as he believes that he will be able to make strides into Los Blancos' first team.
Arsenal are hoping to secure the long-term future of Ethan Nwaneri amid the potential threat of the 18-year-old being poached.
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New Nwaneri contract in the worksArsenal keen to reward teenagerChelsea & Man City have shown interestFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Arsenal are described the as "closing in" on a new contract with Nwaneri that would run until 2030. A fresh five-year deal would reward and recognise the teenager's greater status within the first-team squad since he penned a maiden professional contract upon turning 17 last March.
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Having previously made his senior debut at the age of 15, Nwaneri was permanently promoted to the first-team squad ahead of this season alongside best friend Myles Lewis-Skelly. But it has been the injury absence of Bukayo Saka since December that has handed the youngster more consistent playing time, an opportunity he has grabbed with both hands. Arsenal are now in a position where they have an important first-team player on a contract designed for a future prospect and they unsurprisingly don't want to lose him amid previous interest from Manchester City and Chelsea.
DID YOU KNOW?
Upon making his debut in in 2022, Nwaneri became both Arsenal's youngest-ever player, lowering the mark set by Cesc Fabregas, and the youngest to feature in England's top flight – the latter record had stood since 1964. The attacker was aged just 15 years and 181 days at the time, meaning it would have to be a supremely talented prodigy – or a dire emergency – in order for someone to achieve that at a younger age.
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In addition to requiring strengthening in the transfer market ahead of next season, Arsenal also have other key contract negotiations ahead of them. Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel are three important players who will soon enter the final two years of the respective current deals.
A club are struggling to tie down their star player who has been called the “perfect” forward for Arsenal, and it is believed the Gunners are among the sides who could look to take advantage of this situation in 2025.
Arsenal targeting new attackers for next year
Their hopes of a first Premier League title in 21 years have faded quite dramatically in the last month, with Arsenal failing to win a single league game since their 3-1 victory over Southampton in early October.
Arsenal make approach to sign £160k-per-week star who Wenger wanted in 2015
The player admitted that Arsenal’s ex-manager wanted him in north London.
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By
Emilio Galantini
Nov 13, 2024
This disappointing run of form has left them nine points behind league leaders Liverpool, and despite it still being quite early in the campaign, that is a huge gap to overcome against a Reds side who look near-unbeatable right now.
Arsenal’s next five Premier League games
Date
Nottingham Forest (home)
November 23
West Ham United (away)
November 30
Man United (home)
December 4
Fulham (away)
December 8
Everton (home)
December 14
Arsenal were widely tipped to clinch the title after two successive seasons falling short behind long-reigning English dominators Man City, but it appears Arne Slot’s Liverpool are in pole position to upset the apple-cart and loosen Pep Guardiola’s stranglehold on the trophy.
Amidst their concerning on-field run of form, Arteta must also contend with the loss of influential sporting director Edu Gaspar, who left his post last Monday. Edu was responsible for overseeing the club’s rebuild, leading the charge for a host of key signings, and now interim director Jason Ayto must lead Arsenal’s pursuit of a new forward for the time being.
Indeed, after missing out on a striker in the summer, there is a belief that Arsenal are keen to sign a centre-forward who can relieve the pressure off Kai Havertz’s shoulders.
Gabriel Jesus hasn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders this season, and there are growing concerns over the £265,000-per-week Brazilian’s suitability to lead Arsenal’s forward line.
This has resulted in speculation that Arsenal have made contact over Victor Osimhen, a player they’ve long been linked with, while another high-profile striker in Viktor Gyokeres is said to be on Arteta’s radar as well.
Newcastle struggling to seal new Isak deal as Arsenal eye move
Meanwhile, Newcastle United star Alexander Isak has been sporadically linked throughout 2024 as well. The Sweden international has just hit a rich vein of form, scoring in each of Newcastle’s last four games in all competitions, but Eddie Howe’s side are encountering “hurdles” in talks over a new deal.
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak
That is according to The Boot Room, who also state that Isak’s camp have been left “shocked” over Newcastle’s stance on a new contract for the 25-year-old. They also write that Arsenal remain interested in Isak as Newcastle struggle to agree an extension, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City among his other prestigious suitors.
Isak’s Premier League pedigree and proven top level goalscoring is a real temptation for Arsenal to spend what needs to be big money on the former Real Sociedad star, with journalist Charles Watts also calling him the “perfect” striker for Arteta.
There will be 12 double-headers this season, with the first match starting at 3:30pm IST
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2022IPL 2022 will kick off at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 26, when defending champions Chennai Super Kings face last season’s runners-up and former champions Kolkata Knight Riders.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn all, 70 league matches and four playoff games will be staged in 65 days across two cities – Mumbai and Pune. As reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier, the Wankhede, DY Patil and Brabourne Stadiums will host 55 league matches in Mumbai while the MCA Stadium, which is located in the outskirts of Pune, will host the remaining 15 league games.There will be 12 double-headers this season, with the first match starting at 3:30pm IST. All evening matches will begin at 7:30pm IST.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe IPL had already unveiled the new format last month, saying that the ten teams will play a total of 14 matches – seven home and seven away – during the league phase. Ten of the 14 matches will be home-and-away games against the other four teams in the group, as well as two matches against the team from the corresponding row (organised by the seedings) of the other group.ESPNcricinfo LtdMumbai Indians, as an example, will play the other four teams in Group A – Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants – and Super Kings from Group B two times each. They will play the remaining teams in the other group once each (for a total of 14 games) – these games will be split home and away.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe format is similar to the one used in 2011, when 10 teams featured for the first time.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe Maharashtra government has approved full-vaccinated spectators at 25% of stadium capacity for the forthcoming season. A three-day hard quarantine in the hotel room followed by a negative test on the fourth day will be mandatory before teams can enter the IPL bubble, according to the quarantine protocol distributed by IPL to the franchises.ESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo Ltd
Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement is finally beginning to see the fruits of his labour with regard to how his signings from the summer transfer window are performing.
A rebuild was certainly required at Ibrox, with plenty of high earners being sold or released, while a host of young talents arrived in Glasgow, along with a few experienced players.
With a few months of the season now completed, several players have established themselves as key members of Clement’s squad. Connor Barron, for example, has played in every single match this season so far, shining in the heart of the midfield.
Vaclav Cerny is another who has recently put a couple of bad performances behind him to embark on a wonderful run of form over the previous few weeks.
Vaclav Cerny
Indeed, the Czech winger has scored five goals and grabbed three assists in six games and there is no doubt the 27-year-old has cemented his place in the starting XI.
Others haven’t quite lived up to the hype on their arrival, especially a defender signed back in August…
How much Rangers paid for Robin Propper
One area which Clement needed to bolster during the summer was the Light Blues’ defensive options. Connor Goldson was sold after six years in Glasgow, while Leon Balogun was likely to enter his final season at the club.
This saw the Belgian turn to Europe in order to add some reinforcements to his squad, making a move for FC Twente captain Robin Propper.
The Dutchman had played over 200 times in the Eredivisie throughout his career, so it was clear the 31-year-old was experienced enough to take over from Goldson at the heart of the Gers defence.
Clement didn’t exactly have the biggest budget to play with, yet he managed to secure Propper’s signature for a fee in the region of just £1.5m due to a clause in his contract.
On the surface, it appeared to be a smart piece of business, yet after a few months, the centre-back hasn’t quite performed at his best for the Light Blues.
Robin Propper’s Rangers stats
Since making the move to Rangers, Propper has featured 14 times across all competitions, although he has had to settle for a place on the bench in the club’s last two domestic matches.
One that got away
The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.
The former Twente captain has started three of their four Europa League ties, although his three starts have seen the club concede five goals, including four at home to Lyon in October.
During those games, Propper has won just 48% of his total duels each match, lost possession on average 9.5 times per game and completed just 80% of his passes.
Metric (per 90)
Premiership
Europa League
Accurate passes
70.1
34.5
Tackles
1.9
1
Possession lost
8.7
9.5
Total duels won
6.1
3.5
Dribbled past
0.7
0.8
The defender has committed 1.5 fouls per game too, while being dribbled past on 0.8 occasions each match. Is he struggling with his discipline?
Question marks still surround Propper and his performances of late haven’t exactly convinced the Ibrox faithful that he is the right choice to be the leader in the heart of their defence.
Should the Gers have gone all out for a transfer target in 2023 who is now starring in the Champions League? Rather than wait another year for Goldson’s inevitable decline and having to replace him within a matter of weeks.
Auston Trusty was someone Michael Beale wanted, yet he ended up joining Celtic this summer.
Rangers' pursuit of Auston Trusty
Beale faced a similar conundrum to Clement during his first summer transfer window in charge, as a major rebuild was required at Ibrox.
One area which needed some overhauling was the defence, which led the Englishman to add several targets from down south to his list.
Trusty was one name that appeared quite frequently. In May 2023, the then Arsenal starlet was linked with a move to Ibrox, with the club reportedly even submitting a bid in July to secure his signature.
He ended up joining Sheffield United for the 2023/24 campaign, ensuring he got some first-team football in the Premier League.
It looked like the boat had sailed with regard to signing him during the summer, with Celtic eventually securing a deal for the defender, spending £6m to bring him north of the border.
The move looks like an inspired one, that’s for sure.
How Auston Trusty compares to Propper
Hailed by former teammate George Friend for being “incredible”, Trusty has shone for the Parkhead side during his first few months in Scotland, especially in the Champions League.
The American has played in all four of Celtic’s European games so far this season, as they have recorded two wins, a draw and a solitary defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
Across three starts in Europe’s premier club competition, Trusty has succeeded with a staggering 96% of his passes, has been dribbled past just 0.3 times per game, won 4.5 total duels per game – a success rate of 62% – and has also lost possession just 2.3 times per match, showcasing his class on the biggest stage of all.
Compare these stats to Propper’s from the Europa League mentioned earlier, and they are night and day, with Trusty looking like the real deal in Europe.
Signing a competent defender can make all the difference when performing in continental competition.
This is one area in which Clement has struggled, and it is clear the Ibrox side blundered massively by failing to sign Trusty back in 2023.
Of course, the £5m asking price that Arsenal demanded was clearly too much for the club. Instead, they splashed money on players such as Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Danilo instead.
It remains to be seen what the Gers will do in the January window, especially as Balogun enters the final six months of his contract. With the midfield improving after every game while Cerny and Nedim Bajrami settle in nicely, might another defender be signed?
If they can land someone similar to Trusty, then the second half of the season may see a change in fortunes, no doubt about that.
Rangers loan star is now worth £20m & better than Bajrami after leaving
Rangers had the chance to sign a former loan star for £5m…
Tymal Mills has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup, with Reece Topley taking his place in the 15-man squad.Mills, England’s joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, left the field midway through his second over against Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Monday, immediately calling for a substitute fielder, Sam Billings, to replace him before heading straight to the dressing room.He subsequently underwent a scan which confirmed a right thigh strain, a similar injury to the one he sustained in 2018, which also ruled him out of the rest of that English season.It is a cruel blow for Mills, 29, who has been dogged by injury throughout his career – including a degenerative back condition that he feared would end his career prematurely and which led to him wearing a back brace for three months last winter after suffering a stress fracture. He subsequently tweeted that he was “gutted” to miss the rest of the campaign, but that he would do his utmost to fight back to fitness once more.
His appearances at the T20 World Cup had been his first for his country since February 2017, and came about after a long-term elbow injury to Jofra Archer had left England seeking a dependable white-ball quick to fill a massive gap in their plans.Mills had started the tournament brightly with figures of 2 for 17 against West Indies and 3 for 27 against Bangladesh, and though he was more expensive against Australia and Sri Lanka, his pace, left-arm angle and ability to bowl through the middle and at the death helped him balance England’s attack. All told he has claimed seven wickets at 15.42 in his four matches, at an economy-rate of 8.00.Mills’ absence left England short on death-bowling options against Sri Lanka, other than Chris Jordan, with Tom Curran the only unused squad member who bowls a high percentage of his overs at the end of an innings. Any of Curran, Mark Wood and David Willey could replace Mills in a straight swap, or England may consider rebalancing their side, leaving out a batter and bringing in two seamers to give them more options with the ball.Topley, who has been in the UAE as a travelling reserve, will step up to the main squad immediately, and could be in contention to play in England’s final group game against South Africa. He too has been plagued by injuries since his appearance at the last T20 World Cup in 2016, but his pace and left-arm angle replicates that of Mills, and gives England another pace option to go alongside the existing alternatives.
Arsenal have made a surprise bid for striker Ollie Watkins, but Aston Villa have turned down an initial approach from their Premier League rivals.
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Arsenal launch bid to sign Watkins
Aston Villa turned down an approach
Gunners in need of a new striker
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Mikel Arteta is an admirer of the England international and the Gunners are in the market for a new striker during the January transfer window. The north London team have had a first bid rejected by Villa, the reports, and while an improved offer is expected, Villa are not willing to let him go. According to , Villa have been angered by the timing of the bid which is said to be worth around £60 million ($75m) with the news breaking ahead of the team's Champions League clash against Celtic on
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The 29-year-old has been a vital player for Unai Emery's side, scoring 10 goals in 23 Premier League appearances this season, and he remains contracted to the club until 2028. However, the forward grew up as an Arsenal fan and revealed in 2020 that his "dream" is to join the club.
WHAT ARTETA SAID
Gunners coach Arteta suggested the club are working on bringing in a new attacking option after Gabriel Jesus was ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
"We lost two very important players in Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus. We lack goals, we lack people and we lack options. It’s clear," he told reporters last week. "If we can get the right player that’s why we are actively looking at it. We are working on it, yes. Any player? No. Someone who makes us better. We need some help."
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WHAT NEXT?
With Jesus out for the rest of the season and star winger Saka still injured, Arteta is determined to bring in a new forward as his side look to catch up with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
عبر جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي، عمر مرموش، عن سعادته الكبيرة بالبداية القوية مع السيتزنز تحت قيادة المدير الفني، بيب جوارديولا.
وانتقل مرموش إلى صفوف مانشستر سيتي في الميركاتو الشتوي الماضي مقابل 75 مليون يورو قادمًا من آينتراخت فرانكفورت.
وأجرى جناح منتخب مصر الأول حوارًا مع شبكة “بي إن سبورتس” القطرية للحديث عن بدايته مع مانشستر سيتي، خاصة مباراة نيوكاسل وتسجيله أول هاتريك في حياته.
اقرأ أيضًا.. جوارديولا يعلن غياب لاعب مانشستر سيتي 11 أسبوعًا
وقال مرموش: “تقريبًا لي أكثر من شهر هنا، ومنذ اليوم الأول عندما وصلت شعرت أنني جزء من الفريق، جزء من عائلة مانشستر سيتي”.
وتابع: “المدرب (بيب جوارديولا) وكل الأشخاص في مانشستر سيتي احتضنوني بطريقة رائعة جدًا، وهذا ساعدني على إظهار قدراتي في الملعب وأن أثبت أنني جئت إلى هنا لأساعد الفريق، أنا سعيد جدًا بوجودي هنا، وإن شاء الله هذه مجرد البداية”.
وأضاف: “أن تلعب تحت قيادة أفضل مدرب في العالم هو أمر مختلف تمامًا، أحاول دائمًا التعلم من كل ما يقوله جوارديولا وأستفيد من كل توجيهاته وتعليماته”.
واستمر “جوارديولا يمنحك ثقة كبيرة، فمجرد أن يكون لديك مدرب مثله يمكن أن يرتقي بمستواك إذا كنت 10 إلى أو من 20 إلى 30، من الرائع أن أعمل تحت قيادة أحد أعظم المدربين في العالم”.
وواصل تصريحاته: “بعد مرور 3 أيام فقط على وصولي، علمت أنني سأبدأ في التشكيل الأساسي أمام تشيلسي، كان الأمر واضحًا بالنسبة لي أنها فرصة كبيرة لإثبات نفسي، خاصة في مباراة أمام فريق بحجم تشيلسي على ملعبنا، أردت أن أظهر قدراتي وأقدم كل ما لدي”.
وأكمل: “كانت بداية رائعة أمام تشيلسي، والأروع أنني سجلت أول هاتريك لي في الدوري الإنجليزي، وهو الأول في مسيرتي أمام نيوكاسل يونايتد”.
وزاد: “المباراة كانت قوية، لكنني تمكنت من تسجيل ثلاثة أهداف، والأهم من ذلك أننا حصلنا على النقاط الثلاث، بالتأكيد تسجيل الأهداف شيء كبير بالنسبة لي، لكن هدفنا دائمًا هو الفوز بجميع المباريات والعودة للطريق الصحيح”.
وأتم: “نحن نعمل بجد، وكل لاعب يقدم أقصى ما لديه من أجل الفريق، سواء للفوز بالمباريات أو تحقيق البطولات. الحمد لله، كان يومًا رائعًا رغم أنني لم استمتع بالقدر الكافي بالهاتريك لسرعة إيقاع المباراة وتسجيل الأهداف في وقت قصير للغاية”.
Quick’s four-for followed half-centuries from the two batters, as Zimbabwe win first outright ODI since 2019
Firdose Moonda08-Sep-2021Zimbabwe have claimed their first outright ODI win in their last 15 matches dating back to April 2019, and have gained ten crucial points on the World Cup Super League. Half-centuries from Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza took them to a competitive total in the first ODI in Belfast, and required Ireland to pull off their highest successful chase against them before a strangling bowling effort sealed Zimbabwe’s win.Blessing Muzarabani, Wellington Masakadza and Sean Williams took seven wickets for 41 runs in the last ten overs, as Ireland went from a challenging but doable position of needing 81 runs in the last 12 overs to eventually falling 38 short. Muzarabani, who used the short ball to good effect, was the pick of the bowlers with his third haul of four wickets or more in his 25-match ODI career.In the end, Ireland were left lamenting their slow start, which saw the required run rate pop above six as early as the 19th over. They were 79 for 1 at that stage, having lost Paul Stirling leg before against Masakadza after he was the major contributor to a 64-run opening stand with William Porterfield. Still, the pair gave Ireland a solid foundation to build their chase.Andy Balbirnie did not last too long either, and was bowled by Madhevere, whose offbreak snuck through the Irish captain’s bat-pad gap. Ireland were 109 for 2 at the halfway stage and needed to up the ante.They had the personnel – an anchor in Porterfield, who reached 50 off 78 balls, and an aggressor in Harry Tector – and seemed to have a plan. Porterfield took on short balls from Richard Ngarava, and used his feet and the sweep shot well against the spinners. The pair put on 71 for the third wicket before Porterfield pulled a short delivery from Luke Jongwe to fine leg, where Dion Myers juggled the ball, which dropped out of his hands and onto his shoulder on first attempt, before catching it.Sikandar Raza helped Zimbabwe post 83 runs in the last 8.4 overs•Sportsfile via Getty ImagesIn Tector and George Dockrell, Ireland had two energetic run-scorers at the crease, and they both showed some intent. But Ervine had kept plenty of overs in hand for Muzarabani and Masakadza, and they turned out to be his trump cards. Muzarabani took a wicket with the third ball of his second spell when Dockrell chased a wide delivery and edged behind, a dismissal that was confirmed on review. In his next over, Muzarabani had Simi Singh caught at cover off a leading edge, with Ireland starting to wobble.Their required run rate had reached eight, but Tector was still on hand. He brought up 50 off 53 balls but was out three balls later, edging an attempted slog sweep off Williams to Muzarabani at short third man. Williams also had Andy McBrine caught behind, before Muzarabani and Masakadza finished it off. Ireland were bowled out inside 49 overs to give Zimbabwe a comfortable win.Though Zimbabwe may have been relatively pleased with their batting effort, they could have been eyeing a total closer to 300, after reaching 85 for 1 in the first 14 overs. Brendan Taylor was well set on 49 off 44 balls after starting his innings slowly, and had put on 71 with Ervine, but the former captain played a reckless shot to the first ball of spin in the innings when he swept Simi to deep square leg to put the breaks on a strong start.After Taylor’s dismissal, Simi and McBrine bowled in tandem for 16 overs and gave away just 39 runs. In that time, Myers was dismissed when he top-edged McBrine to Lorcan Tucker, while Williams battled to get to 20 off 45 balls, with only 14 scoring shots. Zimbabwe immediately found reprieve when the spin duo had bowled out, and so Josh Little, who had had a hapless afternoon and finished with figures of 1 for 78 from nine overs, returned.While all of Ireland’s seamers were guilty of bowling too full, Little was the worst offender. He enjoyed some reward when he bowled Williams with a cutter, though that only brought Zimbabwe’s most aggressive batter, Raza, to the crease. By that point, Ervine had reached fifty and was ready to accelerate, as the pair put on 32 runs in 29 balls to get Zimbabwe back on track for 250-plus.Ervine played one big shot too many when he hit Dockrell straight to cover, but Raza first combined with Wessley Madhevere and then Jongwe to help Zimbabwe post 83 runs in the 8.4 overs after Ervine was dismissed. Raza finished unbeaten on 59 off 44 balls, his 18th ODI half-century.Despite the win, Zimbabwe remain in last position on the World Cup Super League points table, with the same number of points as Netherlands – on 20. However, they have the opportunity to gain ground in the rest of the series.
There are many things to love in football, but watching your team concede a last-minute goal is certainly not one of them.
Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, that is precisely what they witnessed yesterday afternoon, as after nearly 60 minutes of sensational defending, Manchester City managed to put the ball in the back of the net to snatch a 2-2 draw.
Now, coming so far and still just missing out on the three points is always going to sting, but within the context of a second yellow card for Leandro Trossard, the Premier League title race and Erling Haaland opening the scoring in the first half, a point at the Etihad has to be looked at as a good result.
Moreover, while the North Londoners presented practically no attacking threat in the second half, their defensive work was exemplary, especially from one player whom former defender turned pundit Rio Ferdinand was once quite scathing of.
The beginning of Gabriel's arsenal career
Yes, the player in question is none other than Arsenal’s man mountain, Gabriel Magalhães, who has come on leaps and bounds in the four years he has been at the club.
The North Londoners paid French side LOSC Lille around £23m for his services back in the summer of 2020, and while it wasn’t the sort of transfer that garnered much attention outside the Gunners fanbase, he quickly settled into life at the Emirates.
In his first season in England, the Sao Paulo-born star made 32 appearances across all competitions, in which he scored three goals and provided one assist, meaning that as a centre-back, he maintained an average of a goal involvement once every eight games, which was a sign of things to come.
The following campaign saw the “unstoppable” 6 foot 3 ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, rack up another 39 appearances and five goals in all competitions.
However, despite now playing alongside the talented Ben White, there were still some problems at the back, which were on full display in the 4-0 defeat away to Liverpool that season.
Fortunately, 22/23 saw the introduction of William Saliba into the backline and the transformation of White from a centre-back to a right-back, which is the set-up that’s been the bedrock for much of the club’s success over the last few years.
However, despite the defence getting stronger, Gabriel was still not necessarily getting the plaudits he deserved, as mistakes against Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates in October 2022 and against West Ham United at the London Stadium in April 2023 created an image of the defender as an unreliable and reckless player.
Unsurprisingly, following the penalty he gave away against the Irons, former centre-back Ferdinand criticised the Brazilian, saying: “As a defender, you’ve got to be calm. There’s no need for him to do what he did.
“It was a rush of blood, he needs to eradicate that, get that out of his game quick. But rash… and I’ve said this about Gabriel a few times. He’s rash, he makes mad, wild decisions.”
He even hinted that the defender could be someone Arteta looked to move on if he continued in that manner. “‘As a manager you don’t want to see that. Because those types of things ruin the head too many times, it starts becoming part of their make-up, and you’re going, ‘hold on, can I rely on this guy?”
First Impressions
What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.
This perspective may have held some water then, but over the last year or so, Gabriel has proven that the former Manchester United star was very wrong.
Gabriel's recent form
Surprisingly, Gabriel started last season on the bench and didn’t start a Premier League game until the home game against United in matchweek four, which the Gunners won 3-1 in rather dramatic fashion.
However, following that match, he was once again a regular starter alongside Saliba, and while the team missed out on the title by just two points, they produced the best defence in the league.
By the end of the campaign, the perception of the former Lille ace being a potential issue for the manager had all but disappeared, and as further proof of his sensational form, the 26-year-old was named in the PFA Team of the Year, alongside four of his teammates.
Gabriel’s Arsenal record
Appearances
174
Goals
17
Assists
1
Goal Involvements per Match
0.10
All Stats via Transfermarkt
This season has seen the nine-capped international continue his incredible work at the back, and alongside the defensive solidity he brings to the team, he has kept up his habit of scoring from set-pieces and currently has two in five appearances, meaning that, across all competitions, the Gunners’ number six has scored 17 goals and provided one assist in 174 appearances.
However, it wasn’t just his goal against City that made his display yesterday afternoon so sublime; it was the fact that, alongside his teammates, he was forced to defend against arguably the best team in Europe with ten men for close to 55 minutes, and while Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut eventually scored, it shouldn’t take away from the Herculean effort from Gabriel and his teammates.
Gabriel vs Manchester City (2-2 draw).
For example, in his 99 minutes on the pitch, he made five clearances and two tackles, blocked three shots, lost the ball just four times and scored a goal for good measure, which all helps to explain why the Standard’s Simon Collings was entirely fair to award him a 9/10 on the day.
Ultimately, while some of the early criticism Gabriel faced at Arsenal was likely fair, there can be no denying that as things stand, he is one of the very best defenders in the country and has made himself utterly undroppable.
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