Gabriel

Powerful defender Gabriel was once again a commanding figure at the back last season, displaying determination and passion to match his aerial ability and powerful tackling. 

The Brazilian, who started all but one Premier League fixture from the beginning of September, also contributed four goals, notably in the 1-1 draw at Liverpool in December, then a double in the 5-0 home win over Crystal Palace in January. He was duly named as our Player of the Month shortly afterwards. 

Now in his fifth season in north London, he arrived from French club Lille in September 2020, scoring on his debut – in a 3-0 win over Fulham – and immediately established himself as a key figure in the Gunners’ defence. Up to the start of this season he had scored more Premier League goals than any other defender since his debut. 

Gabriel (full name Gabriel dos Santos Magalhaes) started his career with Avai in Santa Catarina, Brazil, before moving to France, and he also had loan spells with Troyes and Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb, where he won a league and cup double in 2017/18. He played for his country at the 2017 South American Under-20 Championships and made his senior international debut last season, scoring his first international goal against Venezuela in October 2023. He was part of Brazil’s squad at the 2024 Copa America in USA.

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