Arsenal star Gabriel aimed a dig at Richarlison on Instagram after the 4-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday’s North London derby.
The Gunners capitalised on Manchester City’s slip-up at Newcastle United by defeating Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, solidifying their place at the top of the Premier League table by moving six points clear of nearest-rivals Chelsea.
With just under a third of the campaign played, it is still very early days for Mikel Arteta’s side, but they will no doubt be starting to believe they can finally go all the way this season, having finished second for three years on the spin.
After blitzing Spurs at the weekend, the north Londoners are now the joint-highest scorers in the Premier League, while they also have the best defensive record, having shipped just six goals this term, four fewer than any other side.
Gabriel has been key to the solid record at the back, having formed a formidable partnership with William Saliba, although the centre-back was forced to miss the North London derby after suffering a hamstring injury on international duty with Brazil.
Gabriel takes swipe at Richarlison on Instagram
Despite recently linking up with Richarlison on international duty, with Brazil suffering a 3-2 defeat against Japan, before going on to defeat Senegal 2-1, Gabriel couldn’t resist having a dig at the striker, tagging him in his celebratory Instagram post after the match.
Although the defender was ruled out for Sunday’s game, he had a dig at his compatriot, who was arguably one of Spurs’ better performers, having scored their only goal of the game, catching out David Raya with a strike from distance.
However, that long-range effort was the centre-forward’s only major contribution, having struggled to make an impact on proceedings, completing just five of the ten passes he attempted throughout the match.
Piero Hincapie, on the other hand, looked solid in Gabriel’s absence, making four clearances, one interception and one tackle to keep Spurs at bay, with the visitors being limited to very few chances.
Arteta will no doubt be hoping to have the Brazil international back soon, having recently said: “It’s clearly a blow. It’s our leader in our backline. To miss him is never a positive thing. The good thing is we have some very good options. They need to stand up now.”
However, having recruited well in the summer, signing Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera to bolster squad depth, Arsenal should fancy their chances heading into a congested run of fixtures.
Gabriel has been named as one of the best centre-backs in the world The Best 15 Centre-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world.
ByCharlie Smith