Gabriel: Player Rating and Performance v Man Utd
Gabriel, Arsenal's summer signing, was a massive reason why Arsenal achieved a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
But what was Gabriel's performance like?
📷 Gabriel: Match Snapshot
In what was a match between two sides who looked scared to attack, Gabriel emerged as the most assured performer on the pitch.
He constantly threw himself in the way to protect his team, making a game-high four clearances and having a 100% success rate from his five tackles. He also won 7 from 11 duels against United's quick attackers and he never gave them an opportunity to turn and run at him.
The best example of this was when Nemanja Matic broke in from the left and his crunching tackle, taking the ball and man, left the Man Utd man demanding a penalty when in fact it had been a perfect last man challenge that stopped a clear chance.
He also never gave the ball away in possession, having a 92% pass completion from his 52 passes. It was an excellent all-round defensive performance.
Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
〽️ Gabriel: Rating Week-on-Week
✔️ IMPROVEMENT
Gabriel was far from the worst performer as Arsenal lost to Leicester in his last outing, earning a 7.0 FC Rating, but here he really was the difference, earning a 8.6 FC Rating for his performance.
🗝️ Key Stats
Gabriel match stats
| Statistic | Value | Notes |
| FC Rating | 8.6 | 🏆 FC Man of the Match |
| Mins Played | 90 | |
| Tackles Att/Won | 5/5 | Rank #1 |
| Duels Att/Won | 11/7 | |
| Clearances | 4 | Rank #2 |
| Poss Lost | 5 | Rank #1 |
What Next?
Gabriel has looked one of Mikel Arteta's most assured signings so far and here he produced the kind of leadership performance that will stand Arsenal in good stead in the long term.
Make no mistake, there are still clear attacking deficiencies in this side, but they are far better defensively, and that gives Arsenal a base to work from.