Since joining Arsenal in the January transfer window, former Villarreal man Gabriel has been part of an ongoing discussion between Arsenal supporters as to who, out of the Brazilian & Per Mertesacker would be a better choice to partner Frenchman Laurent Koscielny at the heart of the Arsenal defence.
The discussion is a nice one to have though, and is certainly an improvement on where Arsenal were at the start of the season. With Koscielny missing 8 consecutive matches between mid October and late November, Arsenal struggled, failing to win half of those fixtures as well as the lack of depth in Arsenal’s defensive areas being further highlighted with Spanish left-back Nacho Monreal being forced to fill the void left by Koscielny at centre-half. Mertesacker’s performances came under massive scrutiny, and fans were desperate for manager Arsène Wenger to strengthen in the centre of defence.
Funnily enough, Arsenal found themselves in a similar situation only a couple of weeks after the Frenchman returned, as he picked up a calf injury, subsequently missing a further 5 matches from early to late December; with Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy and Monreal yet again having to fill in. It was clear that Arsenal couldn’t trust Koscielny’s persistent injury troubles to subside.
Gabriel was snapped up, and made his debut for the club in the FA Cup match at home to Middlesbrough, and although it was nice that the Emirates faithful got to see their new signing, the match itself was a very comfortable one for The Gunners, and didn’t allow them anything to judge Gabriel on.
Arsène then decided to keep Mertesacker as his first choice for the time being, as he started in the next two matches against Crystal Palace and Monaco. Unfortunately for the German, his display against the seven time Ligue 1 winners left a lot to be desired, and with his ill discipline virtually costing Arsenal the entire tie, Gabriel started the following match against Everton, and despite an early mistake, he impressed. His proactive style of defending being an instant hit with the Arsenal fans.
He then started again, away at Queens Park Rangers, but this time along side Mertesacker, with Wenger deciding to rest Koscielny. Sadly, we got to see very little of what the two had as a partnership in that game, as Gabriel had to be substituted after only 37 minutes because of a hamstring injury. Thankfully, he returned after only one match.
Since then, Mertesacker has started all bar one match and still seems very much like the first choice out of the two at the moment. It leaves Wenger in an interesting position, especially for next season on what Gabriel’s role will look like at the club. The majority of supporters seem to be of the opinion that the Brazilian should, and will be a starter for the club next season, but it remains to be seen if that will come true.
Mertesacker is a man, who, as we often hear, has amassed over 100 caps for Germany. Obviously, he must be good in some regard to have reached this feat. The problem for him is, he hasn’t necessarily had a bad season, but when he has struggled, it has been in important matches – such as his kamikaze moments of ill discipline at home to Manchester United and Monaco, or when he was meant to be the leader of the pack when Koscielny was absent, but ended up being the complete opposite and sinking the ship further. With Koscielny there, though, Mertesacker remains a dependable partner on the whole, and has barely put in a bad display when partnered with the ex-Lorient man.
Gabriel on the other hand, as previously stated, seems to be much the more popular choice among Arsenal supporters on who should take the starting berth alongside Koscielny next season. His style is very similar to that of Koscielny when he first arrived at the club, with an aggression and edge to his game, while still looking susceptible to faltering under nerves at times and often clearing the ball when not a necessity. He looks like a player who would benefit from a run of games, and Arsenal fans are unlikely to be against seeing more of the 24-year-old on the field.
So, will Mertesacker retain his starting place next season? Will Gabriel claim his place in the first team, or will Arsène surprise us all maybe, and sign a new centre-back completely? Who knows, but it will certainly be interesting to see how it develops.
