Kevin Campbell told the Highbury Squad Podcast that Gabriel is ‘better than’ his Arsenal teammates Calum Chambers and Rob Holding ‘put together’.
Both Chambers and Holding have featured for Arsenal during these opening three games of the new season and they have lost all three matches – nine conceded, including five at Manchester City last time out.
Gabriel is returning from injury and supporters will be hoping that he can be in action after the international break.
On paper, Gabriel and Ben White might just be Mikel Arteta’s best centre-back pairing, but he hasn’t been able to play them together yet.
And Arsenal legend Campbell made his feelings about the club’s defenders pretty clear.
“Gabriel is better than Chambers and Holding put together,” said Campbell. “I believe that. That’s my opinion, he is.
“Again, it’s all good backing the manager but you have to have the players on the pitch. It’s not an excuse, it’s just the truth.
“Remember, Gabriel last season, he had Player of the Month, Player of the Month, he got COVID and then he wasn’t quite the same.
“But you know and I know that Gabriel is better than both of those players put together.”
It was a pretty healthy debut campaign for Gabriel last season at the Emirates, with the £23 million man tailing off towards the end (BBC Sport).
He was perhaps Arsenal’s best player during the first half of the campaign, but for one reason or another, he found himself on the bench as the season drew to a close.
But the Brazilian has been hugely missed this season and Arteta will be desperate to get him playing alongside White, as soon as possible.
Plus, Gabriel’s return will also allow Arteta to play three at the back because a lot is going wrong, at this moment in time.
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