Three reasons Gabriel can be an Arsenal legend

Despite a shaky opening period, Gabriel Paulista showed glimpses of absolute brilliance during Monday night’s clash with Liverpool. He was excellent in the second half, reading the play and intercepting balls superbly to keep Benteke and Coutinho at bay. He showed some impressive recovery pace and strength to track down runners and get on the end of loose balls, and he looks set for future stardom.

He certainly did his chances of eventually taking the centre half mantle no harm with his showing and he showed he can be trusted to deputize when needed. He looked promising in his few cameos last season and will do down the road as well I reckon. I once likened him to Martin Keown for his strength and aggression, and I stand by those remarks. I reckon Gabriel can be an Arsenal legend, and here are three reasons why.

 Rough and tumble

Physicality is a must for a modern day centre half, and Gabriel has that in abundance. It may sound a little straight forward, but his pace and strength and aggression really are massive assets. He showed he has the necessary traits to make it in this division, and didn’t suffer the usual learning curve that comes with foreign players. Shackling Benteke is no easy task, with the 6’3 bruiser bullying plenty of defenders on his day. He matched him stride for stride and physically as well, battling it out and more than standing his ground. He was fantastic against Lukaku last season as well, another pacey and strong man mountain, so Gabriel looks to be a proper centre half.

 Wisdom is key

Gabriel’s intelligent reading of the play and positioning means he has what it takes to endure difficult situations unscathed. He showed it in the second half against Liverpool, making the necessary adjustments to halt Liverpool’s momentum, and it is this kind of cognition that separations the greats. Speaking of adjusting, he has had to do just that in a major way twice in his career already. He made the jump from Brazil to Spain, and now to England, three very different types of football, and he showed he can adjust and adapt accordingly. He is still just 24 and shows a maturity and mental fortitude beyond his years. Keep in mind he has not yet mastered English, but is still able to marshal the back line. Once he gets that down there is truly nothing holding him back.

 Humility

Arsene Wenger described him as “very ambitious, focused, serious and committed” paying testament to the player’s grounded and humble of state of mind. Gabriel is a no nonsense kind of defender, and you get the sense he is like that off the pitch as well. He said in his very first interview he is focused on breaking into the XI and helping the team win, making no mention of the glitz and glamour of the Premier League. Goes to show he is indeed focused, serious, and committed, and that can only bode well for him going forward.