The injury suffered by Gabriel during the international break while playing for Brazil could have major repercussions for Arsenal's Premier League title hopes. He has arguably been their best player so far this season, not just because of his outstanding defending and link-up with centre-back partner William Saliba, but also because of his unbelievable goalscoring ability from set-pieces. Thus, the Gunners will be without one of their most unique and important players for an extended time. Let us now look at what the injury to Gabriel means to Arsenal and their Premier League dreams.
The Gabriel injury impact: Arsenal losing their best player this season
The Gabriel-Saliba centre back partnership has played a pivotal role in helping Mikel Arteta take Arsenal back to the top. Although most football fans saw Saliba as the better player individually over the past few seasons, Gabriel has been the undisputedly better player this season. His unique combination of defensive prowess combined with special aerial attacking ability is what has made him arguably the most important player in Arsenal this season. This is what makes his injury a devastating blow for Arteta and Arsenal. There is not a single player in Arsenal who offers such an impact for the team both in defense and attack like how Gabriel does.
Time for William Saliba and the rest to step up
It was not long ago when William Saliba suffered a serious Injury a few years ago and that became the catalyst that destroyed Arsenal's season and gave Pep Guardiola's men the upper hand. Arsenal had a great starting lineup at that time, but their squad depth was quite poor, especially in comparison to Manchester City. Thus, the Injury to William Saliba was such a massive blow for them back then. However, things have changed now, and Arteta and Arsenal will not have the same excuse anymore. Arsenal are a way stronger side now with arguably the best squad depth in the league. Although one individual player probably cannot make up for the loss of a splendid player and leader like Gabriel, now is the time for the likes of William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapié, and Ben White to all step up and make sure the Gunners don't blow up another golden chance to finally win the Premier League title again.
