Martin Keown said on BT Sport 2 (10:06pm, December 3, 2020) that Pablo Mari is going to find it hard to replace Gabriel from the Arsenal starting lineup.
Keown, who now works as a pundit for BT Sport, was impressed by the performance of Mari during the Gunners’ 4-1 win against Rapid Vienna at the Emirates Stadium in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
However, the Arsenal legend thinks that the 27-year-old Spanish central defender has a lot to do if he is to take Gabriel’s place at the heart of the Gunners’ defence on a regular basis.
Keown said about Mari on BT Sport 2 (10:06pm, December 3, 2020): “Well, at the moment, I still think he is a little bit short. You can see that he had an operation, he has been out for a hell of a long time, so he has got to get that back again.
“It is about developing. Gabriel is the best central defender, and he plays on that left side. For me, he is the first choice, and he is going to have a hell of a job to get ahead of him.”
How did Pablo Mari play for Arsenal against Rapid Vienna?
Mari has had injury problems, but the 27-year-old has recovered now and did well against Rapid.
The 27-year-old centre-back scored in the 18th minute when he headed home Reiss Nelson’s corner.
The experienced defender was solid at the back, was good in the air, and looked comfortable on the ball.
According to WhoScored, Mari took three shots of which two were on target, had a pass accuracy of 85.1%, won seven headers, took 78 touches, and made two clearances.
Gabriel ahead of Pablo Mari
Gabriel has been playing well for Arsenal so far this season, and with David Luiz the other regular centre-back, Mari will have to work hard for his place in the starting lineup on a regular basis.
That is actually good for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who will relish having more options in his squad.
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