Frank Christian
Gabriel’s participation in Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League match against Manchester United is uncertain.
The key Brazilian defender managed to recover in time for Saturday’s match against West Ham, despite limping off during an impressive 5-1 UEFA Champions League victory over Sporting CP the previous week.
He made a significant impact early in the match by scoring from a corner delivered by Bukayo Saka, showcasing his aerial ability during set pieces.
Arsenal experienced a strong first half, netting five goals to secure victory over West Ham.
Catch ALL FIVE of their goals here: pic.twitter.com/bmKWXsb4Oc
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) November 30, 2024
After a thrilling first half that concluded 5-2 in favor of Arsenal, Gabriel had to leave the field, which also marked the end of the goalfest.
Post-match, Mikel Arteta explained that Gabriel’s issue was a recurrence of his earlier injury from Lisbon, rather than a result of the clash with West Ham’s goalkeeper, Lukasz Fabianski, during the penalty awarded for Saka’s fifth goal.
“It was related to the previous injury that he had in Lisbon,” said Arteta. “It’s great he contributed to the win, but due to the result and the discomfort he felt, we chose to substitute him.”
This win narrowed Arsenal’s gap to just five points behind league leaders Liverpool, who will take on defending champions Manchester City at Anfield this Sunday.
This season has seen various title contenders plagued by injuries, with Gabriel not being the only recent concern for Arteta following the West Ham encounter.
Riccardo Calafiori also had to exit the game early, making way for Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back. Jorginho stepped in at the midfield after late injuries forced Mikel Merino (knee) and Thomas Partey (muscular) to withdraw.
Despite these setbacks, Arteta expressed satisfaction with the performances of Jakub Kiwior and other substitutes as they prepare for United’s visit to the Emirates Stadium.
“We faced issues with Gabby and also Ricci,” he noted. “Additionally, losing Thomas and Mikel as well as Myles [Lewis-Skelly] was tough news for us.”
“What delights me is seeing Jakub perform well after coming in, as well as Oleks. Jorginho really stepped up today and that is the standard we need. With games every three days, we will rely on everyone to be at their best, which is a positive sign for the team.”
