Alan Shearer has hailed Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes and named him in his Premier League Team of the Week.
The Brazilian played a key part in two goals against Crystal Palace last weekend, and he has been receiving a lot of praise from fans, pundits and the media since that 5-0 win.
Alan Shearer says Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes is a man-mountain
Arsenal signed Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille in 2020 for a little over £23 million (BBC), and that fee looks like an absolute bargain now.
The Brazilian has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League over the last three or so years.
He is integral to Mikel Arteta‘s side, and even though his performances often get overshadowed by William Saliba‘s brilliance next to him, his importance cannot be understated.
Gabriel started against Crystal Palace on Saturday, and he was incredible. Not only did he keep a clean sheet at the back but he scored the opener and was directly responsible for Dean Henderson’s own goal as well.
The 26-year-old was rightly named as the Player of the Match after the game, and Alan Shearer has now hailed his size and named him in his Team of the Week.
The Newcastle United legend wrote on the Premier League’s official website: “A man-mountain at the back. His threat on set-pieces resulted in a goal and assist.”
Gabriel is very underrated
When you think about Arsenal‘s starting lineup, Gabriel Magalhaes is definitely not the first name that comes to your mind – he’s probably not even in the top five.
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus will all spring to your mind, as will the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and of course, William Saliba.
Gabriel, however, is up there with the best players at Arsenal at the moment. His performances often go unnoticed, but he is one of the most consistent players at the club and in the Premier League.
As Albert Sambi Lokonga once described him, Gabriel is a very ‘underrated player‘, and we think he deserves a lot more praise than he gets.