Pundit Gary Neville has told Sky Sports’s coverage of Manchester United v Arsenal (72 minutes) that he thought Gabriel Magalhaes was the best player on the pitch.
The Gunners travelled up to Old Trafford in search of all three points, and they got exactly what they wanted with a strong display.
Arsenal were the better side throughout and claimed the win with a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty, after Hector Bellerin had been fouled by Paul Pogba.
Mikel Arteta’s men stood strong at the back to keep a clean sheet and see out the game, meaning Arsenal returned to the capital with a vital three points.
One of the key players in Arsenal’s clean sheet was defender Gabriel Magalhaes, who is proving great value for money right now.
The summer signing from Lille cost around £27million, and he has already shown that he can be a mainstay of the Arsenal defence for many years.
Gabriel racked up five tackles, four clearances, one interception, one aerial duel and one blocked shot in a strong display, though he was at risk on a yellow card.
Neville was clearly impressed, branding Gabriel ‘fantastic’ and ‘the best player on the pitch’ as the Brazilian stood out in a strong Arsenal defensive display.
“Arsenal’s defensive performance has been brilliant, from front to back, but the back-three have been good,” said Neville. “Gabriel has been fantastic, so far I’d say he’s been the best player on the pitch, for me,” he added.
Arsenal’s record transfer deals
- Nicolas Pepe
£72 million
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
£56 million
- Alexandre Lacazette
£52 million
- Thomas Partey
45 million
- Mesut Ozil
£42 million
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