Arsenal: Gabriel Paulista Could Relieve Pressure On Hector Bellerin

Hector Bellerin’s form is suffering a bit at Arsenal. A period on the sidelines could be beneficial. Could Gabriel relieve some pressure.

Arsenal’s form has been woeful recently. Three consecutive away losses by two goals have left Arsenal well out the title race and a fair distance from their usual top four spot.

There has been controversy surrounding the future of Arsene Wenger and star players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. But most worryingly, the performances of the current squad have dipped dramatically.

This was very evident in the weekend’s loss to West Brom. The Gunners on the field looked devoid of any confidence or drive. They dominated the ball for long periods but failed to fashion enough reasonable chances. There are many players who have been particularly off the boil recently, none more so than Hector Bellerin.

Ever since breaking into the first team following injuries to Mathieu Debuchy, Bellerin has been a breath of fresh air in this Arsenal squad. His combination of searing pace, attacking verve and improving defensive stability have made him one of the best full backs in the League.

There are many positions with uncertainty at the moment, but Hector being 22 and only likely to improve, right back doesn’t look a worry at present or for the future.

Despite this, Arsenal’s recent slump has coincided with a dramatic drop in form for our Spanish right back. Reoccurring niggling injuries have not helped Bellerin’s plight this season. But they can’t be the explanation for his poor performances recently.

Every up and coming youngster will suffer from lesser periods throughout their development. And Bellerin is definitely experiencing this at present. How does Arsenal and Arsene Wenger deal with this situation? Step in Brazilian Gabriel Paulista.

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Brazilian centre back Gabriel has been in and out of the side since his arrival at Arsenal. Many fans don’t know what to think of him as of yet. He combines fierce aggression and determination with moments of utter madness.

With the signing of Shkodran Mustafi over the summer limiting Gabriel’s opportunities at centre half. The Brazilian has found playing opportunities at right back during Bellerin’s injury absences. Whilst Gabriel hasn’t set the world alight with his performances at right back, he has certainly done an admirable job.

Bellerin may not need cover at present due to injury. But it may be a good idea to draft in Gabriel for a few games and let Bellerin sit on the bench temporarily. The Spaniard would be able to reset and re-evaluate so he can return with greater form and determination.

This is not to say Gabriel is a better right back than Bellerin, definitely not. The switch just provides Bellerin with some thinking time. While a hungry Gabriel can make his own imprint on our struggling side.

We have seen multiple examples of where benching a quality yet underperforming player has benefitted both him and the team in the long run. At Arsenal, Alex Iwobi was left out of the eleven for a spell earlier this year and he came back better than ever.

Next: 10 Reasons Wenger's One More Year Makes Sense

A spell on the sidelines could rejuvenate young Bellerin and see him return to the quality performances we know he is capable of producing.

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