He may be a little too quiet and lightweight, but he sure is pragmatic in his defending – Could Gabriel Paulista, Arsenal’s January signing, muscle his way into the Arsenal backline?
Having been at the club for little over half a year, it is still safe to assume that not many Gooners know much about the Brazilian-born centre-back. They are not to blame though, as this is owing to Arsene Wenger’s ever present faith in the Laurent Koscielny/Per Mertesacker partnership, which has blossomed in recent seasons.
Koscielny’s quick and aggressive style mixed with Mertesacker’s composure and positioning soothed even the most pessimistic minds among the Arsenal faithful. However, the sight of Calum Chambers and Gabriel Paulista in the starting lineup at the weekend did anything but make supporters feel comfortable.
It just so happened that this less trusted pairing would provide the first clean sheet of the campaign (albeit with the help of Petr Cech). In Gabriel, we saw a little bit of Koscielny and it may not have been easy to admire at the time, but in hindsight, his efforts can only be admired as he worked alongside Francis Coquelin to save the blushes of the less-than-impressive Calum Chambers. Time and again he cleared the ball to safety, instead of dwelling on the ball like his partner insisted on doing all evening.
He made six clearances, two interceptions and one block, according to Squawka, testament to his approach to the game. He is yet to lose a game in an Arsenal shirt and whether this is down to his ‘clear first, ask questions later’ policy or just merely coincidence is down for debate, but it is hard to criticise him at this point.
More games under his belt will only increase his confidence and improve his communication on the pitch. With that being said, the Koscielny/Mertesacker partnership is still reliable and there would be no reason to shake things up. The game at Newcastle will be another big test for the Brazilian and if he impresses once again, there might just be a case for him.
