Arsenal: 4 key tasks for Gabriel this season

Arsenal supporters breathed a collective sigh of relief at the team sheet for Norwich. Equally, there will have been a lot of comforting nights of sleep knowing that next time around, touch wood, Gabriel will once again be in the heart of defence.

“(Return of the Mag) Once again..
“(Return of the Mag) Pump up the world..
“(Return of the Mag) Watch my flow..
“(You know that I’ll be back) Here I go.”

Back from a knee injury and straight into the Arsenal lineup to face the Canaries, Gabriel standing next to partner in crime Ben White brought upon a contrasting disposition. Having watched on in terror as Pablo Mari kicked the season off trying to get his contract cancelled before the window shut, some technical competence was warmly embraced.

If all goes well Arsenal not only have a centre-back pairing to be Premier League ever-presents this season, but a partnership to anchor this defence for years to come.

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4 key tasks and areas of improvement for Gabriel this season after Arsenal bring in Ben White to be his partner in central defence

Two 23-year-old defenders with all the tools to complement each other and develop in tandem, not a patched up bunch of highly limited central defenders who flutter between OK and oh dear.

Seeing an entire back five comprising of four players signed during Mikel Arteta‘s reign and one whose contract was extended means the foundation of a new-look Arsenal side can emerge.

White’s quality in possession is unarguable as he regularly fed balls into the midfield, drove in possession and switched the play as opposed to taking eight touches before passing sideways to his fellow centre-back. There was a pleasant air of David Luiz about him, which was the exact reason behind his signing. In the good sense of Luiz, though. Obviously.

Gabriel wasn’t too shabby either. One standout tackle late in the game to deny Teemu Pukki rounded off a relatively comfortable afternoon on his return from the treatment room in what is hoped to be a fruitful season.

But what tasks lay before him this campaign, and what does he need to improve on?

1. Long Distribution

There were instances last season where this stood out for all the wrong reasons. Chelsea at Stamford Bridge was one of them. Overall, however, his long ball accuracy in the Premier League last season was 65.8% – Rob Holding’s was 75.4%.

Gabriel’s long delivery being underwhelming isn’t anything new, either. From his time at Lille it was also his weakest trait and while there are occasions where it can look clean and efficient, they’re not as frequent as you’d like.

But that is a key point.

We know Gabriel can hit long balls into chest height or beyond the backline into space, it just doesn’t happen often enough. Confidence definitely plays a part as the moment the first misplaced long pass happens it’s usually followed by a few others.

Playing alongside White, someone who can pick those balls out effortlessly, will not only lessen the responsibility but also provides him with someone to learn alongside. Luiz will certainly have offered tips.

Extra minutes on the training ground this season to add this string to his bow is high up on the to-do list. It’s the undeniable weakness in his game.

Continued…