Arteta admits Arsenal 'were all scared' for Gabriel before Everton injury scare
Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal were genuinely frightened when Gabriel Magalhães went down injured during Saturday's 2-0 win over Everton at the Emirates, with the manager revealing it was the reaction of his teammates, not the fall itself, that caused the real alarm.
The Brazilian defender appeared to hurt his right knee while stretching to make a clearance early in the second half. He immediately signalled towards the bench before receiving treatment on the pitch, and for a few uncomfortable minutes it looked as though Arsenal might lose one of their most important players.
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Gabriel was determined to continue, and what followed went some way to explaining why Arteta rates him so highly.
Arteta on the fear around the bench
Speaking after the match, as reported by the Evening Standard, Arteta explained that the panic in the moment came from the players around Gabriel rather than the nature of the injury itself.
“Well, he's a clear example, when I'm talking about the mentality of the team, obviously the mentality of the team is the mentality of the individuals in the team,” Arteta said. “Gabi is a great example of that because we were all scared. Not because of the way he went down, but the reaction of the players that were next to him.”
He continued: “Immediately he says that he wants to continue and then he scores a goal to help us win the game. That's what we need from our players.”
It was a dramatic turnaround for the defender, who went from looking doubtful to finish the match to heading home Arsenal's second goal in the 69th minute. Gabriel was outstanding at both ends of the pitch and earned a 9/10 rating for his performance.
Why keeping Gabriel fit matters so much
With William Saliba still unavailable, Arsenal can hardly afford another setback at the back. Gabriel's partnership with Ezri Konsa has provided some much needed stability in central defence, and both defenders getting on the scoresheet against Everton was an added bonus on top of the clean sheet.
Arteta's comments also point to something statistics alone cannot capture, the mentality and leadership Gabriel provides for this Arsenal side, even in moments of genuine concern.
Playing on and scoring does not automatically rule out a lingering issue, and supporters will be hoping the defender has come through the knock without any lasting problems. Arsenal's win moved them level on points with Manchester City, and keeping their defensive leader fit could prove significant as the season progresses.
Arsenal will be monitoring Gabriel's condition closely in the coming days as attention turns to the next fixture.
