Garth Crooks impressed with Gabriel Paulista

Garth Crooks was impressed with Gabriel Paulista’s performance for Arsenal against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Garth Crooks has been singing the praises of Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista on BBC Sport.

The former Tottenham man was impressed with the performance of Gabriel during the Gunners’ Premier League match against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Crooks, who was on the books of North London outfit Spurs from 1980 to 1985, has included the 24-year-old Brazilian centre-back in his BBC Premier League Team of the Week.

“I saw Gabriel stand up to Chelsea's Diego Costa recently at Stamford Bridge and he refused to be intimidated by the striker,” Crooks wrote on BBC Sport. “Sadly for Arsenal, he paid a heavy price for his boldness and was sent off.

“His performance, while less demanding against Manchester United, was extremely professional and he looked like a very composed defender with the ball at his feet.

“He reduced Anthony Martial to the minimum of chances and was instrumental in Arsenal keeping a clean sheet.”

During the 90 minutes he was on the pitch at the Emirates against United, Gabriel had a pass accuracy of 91%, won 67% of his tackles and 33% of his header, and made two interceptions, eight clearances and two blocks.

The former Villarreal star is one of the best defenders in the current Arsenal squad, and he was indeed instrumental in the Gunners’ 3-0 win against Louis van Gaal’s side on Sunday.

Were you impressed with Gabriel Paulista’s performance against Manchester United?

Photo: Gabriel Paulista sends message to Arsenal fans

Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista thanks his fans after reaching 200,000 followers on Instagram

Gabriel Paulista has taken to social media to thank his fans after he reached 200,000 followers on Instagram this week.

The Brazilian defender has been a regular fixture in Arsenal’s starting line-up this season alongside France international Laurent Koscielny.

Gabriel hit the headlines when he was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Diego Costa during Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat by Chelsea last month.

The decision was later overturned by the Football Association and his three-game ban rescinded.

Now, the Brazil international has used his account on the photo-sharing app to thank his fans for their support as he looks to establish himself as one of Arsene Wenger’s first-choice central defenders.

Gabriel posted the picture above on his personal Instagram account and wrote: “First i want to thank God for all he has done for me and family , i also want to thank all my fans for the support , lets go gunners. Gabrielisagunner”

The defender will be hoping to feature when Arsenal return to Premier League action with a trip to Watford after the international break on 17 October.

Gabriel joined Arsenal from Villarreal in a deal reported to be worth around £11.2m in January 2015.

Arsenal have not conceded a goal in the league when Gabriel Paulista has been playing this season

Arsenal are yet to concede a goal when the Brazilian has been on the pitch in the league - but Europe is a very different story.

Has Arsene Wenger identified the man that will fire Arsenal to the Premier League title?

No, it’s not Mesut Özil or Alexis Sanchez. Nor is it Theo Walcott. It’s none other than defender Gabriel Paulista.

The Brazilian centre-back hit the headlines earlier this season for all the wrong reasons as he was sent-off for his part in a dispute with Chelsea striker Diego Costa, with referee Mike Dean showing Gabriel a straight red card for kicking out at the Brazilian-born Spaniard despite receiving a booking just seconds before.

However, a look at the stats may suggest the Gabriel is more important to the Gunners than his hot-head reaction hints at.

Arsenal’s defence made a shaky start to the season as they shipped two goals in the opening defeat to West Ham, before Wenger lost both Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny to illness and injury respectively.

That forced the Arsenal manager Wenger to call on Gabriel for the 0-0 draw with Liverpool in late August, and the result is trend that has continued since he came into the starting line-up. Arsenal are yet to concede in the Premier League when Gabriel has been on the pitch, and have won three of the five games that he has started in.

The one rather large exception is the 2-0 defeat to the Blues, although both goals came after Gabriel was sent-off and while he can be blamed for the loss, Arsenal successfully appealed against the red card and would argue that he should never have been dismissed.

In Europe though, it’s a very different story. Gabriel started both Champions League matches against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos, and the Gunners are yet to taste anything other than defeat in the competition having conceded twice against the Croatians before shipping three goals to the Greek side.

Gabriel Paulista Is A Blessing To Arsenal

When Arsene Wenger acquired Gabriel Paulista last winter, it was kind of big news. We finally had center back coverage for when Per Mertesacker just was not enough or for when Laurent Koscielny got hurt. Now, suddenly, Gabriel Paulista may be the best defender on Arsenal’s roster.

It was not all milk and honey when he started, though. Gabriel Paulista had a few mental mistakes at the beginning of it all. But after witnessing his unbelievably timed tackle on Romelu Lukaku in the 16-yard box, it was obvious. This guy was going to be superb.

Call it another slick Arsene Wenger signing. For around £13 million, Arsenal acquired the next great Brazilian centerback. I have said this before but I will say it again, having Gabriel at center back is like having another Francis Coquelin on the pitch. The timing of his tackling is superb and his aggression and proactive defending ensures that even once Laurent Koscielny is gone, we will still have his style of defending.

Gabriel is also the poster child of Arsenal’s defensive evolution. From Per Mertesacker to Gabriel Paulista. You don’t get much more of an infusion of athleticism than that.

But just how good is Gabriel Paulista? Statistics have been revealed to show that Arsenal have not conceded a goal with the Brazilian on the pitch. Let that sink in a second. As long as Gabriel is on the pitch, Arsenal have not surrendered a goal.

A lot of that can be chalked up to the team’s performance, and not specifically because of Gabriel’s presence. But do not for a second believe that it is all luck and circumstance. Gabriel on the pitch is a machine. No one gets past him. The combination of he and Koscielny is just about impenetrable.

What makes this even more inspiring is the story behind Gabriel Paulista’s footballing career. Part of what makes Alexis Sanchez so special is the back story. He came from poverty in a small Chilean village to become a star. 

Gabriel Paulista is on that same road. In a recent interview with Arsenal Player, the Brazilian spoke of his path to where he is now. Just like Alexis, he started from poverty and used football to escape that poverty. It was not an easy childhood and he used that as motivation to escape it and provide a better life for himself. Playing with that kind of motivation never goes away. That intensity that he taught himself as a child is with him to this day. You cannot teach that kind of play.

Again, it is just like Alexis Sanchez. Even the way that he runs comes down to him not having cleats when he was younger. You cannot teach that passion and that desperation in their play.

Arsenal’s defense is blessed to have Gabriel Paulista on it. He will be a mainstay for years to come.

Gabriel Paulista: 'I Have Seen Death, I've Been Robbed. I've Seen Many Things'

Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista has spoken of his tough upbringing in the impoverished south of Sao Paulo.

"I have seen death, I have witnessed robberies, I’ve been robbed in Sao Paulo. I’ve seen many things," Gabriel told Arsenal's official website.

But the 24-year-old admits he is proud to be able to give his mother a better life: "She lived in a shack in a favela. I talk about it because I am not ashamed of saying it, and today I am proud of being able to help her, to give her a better life, and me as well because I always dreamed about it. Thanks to God, things are coming true."

Gabriel has made a strong start to the season after joining the Gunners from Villarreal in January, reliably stepping in for first choice pair Laurent Koscielnyand Per Mertesacker when called upon.