At a Glance:
- Gabriel Magalhaes has been a crucial part of Arsenal’s defense this season
- Ranks as the best defender in the league in one statistic
- The Brazilian is a more versatile defender than given credit for
Arsenal have an extremely formidable defence in the Premier League, having only conceded 26 goals in 36 games, and centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes has been an essential part of the Gunners’ backline.
While the Brazilian star has had some issues with injuries throughout the year, he has combined with fellow centre-back William Saliba, who is arguably as good a centre-back as Gabriel, to create one of the most formidable defensive duos in world football.
He has made 48 appearances over the course of this season under Mikel Arteta, with 30 of these being in the Premier League.
Although he has not been present in six of Arsenal’s PL fixtures, there is a specific stat that lays creedence to him being one of, if not the, best defensive player in the entire division.
Gabriel ranks top out of any defender in the league for blocked shots percentage
There has been a perception that Gabriel is a rash defender and one who is perhaps too risky for his own good in high-intensity matches.
This perception is somewhat unfair to the 28-year-old, given that he has only four yellow cards and not a single red card over the entirety of Arsenal’s 2025/26 domestic season.
He is most definitely one to put absolutely everything into keeping the goal out of Arsenal’s net, though, and he is top of the list out of any defender for blocked shot percentage in England’s top flight.
Arsenal’s number 6 has managed to deflect 20.5%, or 34 out of 166, total shots that Arsenal have been able to block, ahead of other notable defenders like James Tarkowski of Everton in second, and Bournemouth’s Argentine defender Marcos Senesi, who are both known for their strong defensive capabilities.
Throughout 36 gameweeks, it is a testament to Gabriel’s ability that he is so willing to go above and beyond for the Gunners, in a campaign that could finally see this passion pay off—given that Arsenal are only two games away from lifting the Premier League title.
These are not the only defensive attributes Gabriel impresses in
While Gabriel is known for being a duels monster in both aerial and on-the-ground situations, ranking in the 85th percentile of Premier League defenders in duel win percentage, he is also a fairly multi-faceted centre-back.
He is a force to be reckoned with going forward, as he has three goals and four assists for the season so far. Gabriel also ranks in the 96th percentile of all PL defenders in terms of big chances created.
Perhaps one of his most underrated features as a defender is his ability at winning fouls, having won 31 fouls all season, putting him in the top ten percent of defensive players in the division for that statistic, too.
