Explained: Mikel Arteta’s decision to bench Gabriel Magalhaes for Arsenal’s win over Crystal Palace
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes was surprisingly benched for the second week running in Monday night’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, leaving many fans wondering why. Mikel Arteta has now explained his decision and rubbished reports that the Brazilian could leave the club.
The 25-year-old had started the previous 73 Premier League matches in a row prior to last weekend’s match against Nottingham Forest, only missing nine minutes of action – Everton’s James Tarkowski was the only outfield player to play more minutes.
Why Was Gabriel Magalhaes Benched?
Arteta explained that his decision to bench Gabriel was based on the game he was expecting and how he wanted to defend and attack. He also said that the Brazilian has played in both games this season and helped Arsenal to win both games for different reasons.
Despite being benched for the second week running, Gabriel did get a short run out at Selhurst Park following Takehiro Tomiyasu’s dismissal and gave an excellent defensive performance off the bench, helping the 10-man Gunners keep Palace’s attack at bay and cling on to claim all three points.
Will Gabriel Magalhaes Leave Arsenal?
With Gabriel being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, there have been rumblings that his time at Arsenal might be coming to an end but Arteta has shut down those reports and insists the 25-year-old has a big role to play.
Asked if potential interest in Gabriel from Saudi Arabia has influenced his non-selection, Arteta replied: ‘No, nothing at all. He’s going to play a lot of games. But that’s the decision sometimes.’
Reflecting On The Win Over Palace
Reflecting more broadly on the win over Palace, Arteta said to Sky Sports afterwards: ‘I love to win like this, the way we played the first half against a team which is so difficult in open play, but we dominated the game and we conceded nothing.
‘After scoring the goal there was more spaces, but we had to play with 10 men and we didn’t concede with 10 men so I am happy with the team in how they responded in the game.’
Conclusion
Mikel Arteta has explained his decision to bench Gabriel Magalhaes for the second time this season in Monday night’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace and rubbished reports he could leave the club.
The Brazilian did get a short run out at Selhurst Park following Takehiro Tomiyasu’s dismissal and gave an excellent defensive performance off the bench, helping the 10-man Gunners keep Palace’s attack at bay and cling on to claim all three points.
Arteta insists that Gabriel has a big role to play at Arsenal and will be playing a lot of games this season. He also praised the team for their performance against Palace, saying they dominated the game and didn’t concede with 10 men.