Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been effusive in his praise of Gabriel.

Speaking about the Brazilian’s capabilities, Arteta said the player has developed into one of the best in the world:

“If you ask me what I want from my centre-back, I want somebody who dominates both boxes and masters that. Gabriel can do that. He defends like a world-class defender, and he attacks like a world-class attacker.”

“When you look at his presence, the way he leads the team, the way he talks to people, his body language, there’s a lot to like. It’s no coincidence that he has evolved into one of the best centre-backs in the world.”

Arteta might be overstating things ever so slightly

Gabriel is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in world football, and that is demonstrated by the fact that the Gunners have conceded just 3 goals in all competitions so far this campaign (before the Crystal Palace fixture), with only one coming from open play.

However, to claim he is a “world-class attacker” is stretching things a bit. He has been involved in 29 goals across his 222 appearances for the club. That is not a bad return for a centre-back but you wouldn’t say it’s anything special either.

Gabriel has started every league match for Arsenal this season

The 27-year-old was a doubt heading into Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace, having picked up a knock versus Atletico Madrid in the Champions League midweek.

However, Gabriel was named in the starting lineup for the fixture. It means that the centre-half has been ever-present in the Premier League. He has actually featured in every match so far this campaign, having only failed to make the first eleven for the 2-0 win over Port Vale in the Carabao Cup third round tie last month.

Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here