Gabriel Magalhaes has told Sky Sports he believes he is delivering stronger performances during his second season at Arsenal after developing his ability to speak English.
The Brazilian admits the language barrier meant he occasionally struggled during his debut campaign in north London last term. The Gunners paid Lille £23m for the centre-back last September, with Mikel Arteta believing he acquired an ‘outstanding’ player, via BBC Sport.
Gabriel played 23 Premier League games, starting 22, between injuries as Arsenal produced their worst finish since 1994/95. He started the campaign with promise after scoring on his debut at Fulham. But failed to maintain that level throughout, before falling out of favour.
Gabriel sustained yet another injury this summer when he damaged his knee competing at the Tokyo Olympics. The blow kept him from Arsenal’s first three fixtures of the campaign, but returned to start their last three. Over which, Arteta’s men took nine points from nine.
The 23-year-old was confident against Norwich City, dominated Burnley and produced an assured display against Tottenham Hotspur last time out. Gabriel believes he has turned a corner with his performances at Arsenal as he continues to overcome the language barrier.
“I think, more than anything on the pitch, the language was the biggest difficulty for me in terms of adapting,” he said. “There are a lot of players here who speak French, Portuguese and Spanish. But in this country, you have to speak English, and that was tough for me.
“My English still isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely a lot better than it was and that’s helping me a lot.”
Arsenal to see the best of Gabriel this season?
Arteta will want to see the best of what Gabriel can offer throughout the entire season at Arsenal this term. That means the Brazilian will need to stay fit and healthy, along with improving his understanding of the English language.
Gabriel has started his season strongly and the Gunners’ backline looked much stronger with him featuring against Norwich. The Canaries rarely tested him, but Burnley upped the pressure and he flourished, engaging and dropping off at the right times.
He also dealt well with the Clarets’ physicality, before showing his leadership skills in the north London derby. Encouraging his Arsenal teammates throughout their win at home to Tottenham last weekend, and setting the benchmark for the rest of his second season.
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