Brazil were in action against Venezuela in the World Cup qualifiers on Thursday evening, and, just as expected, Arsenal central defender Gabriel started for Seleção.
Gabriel has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League and is a key player for Arsenal.
Playing alongside William Saliba at the heart of the Arsenal defence, Gabriel, described as aggressive by Stuart Pearce, has been a big reason why the Gunners have become one of the Premier League title contenders in recent years.
Gabriel, who Ben White thinks does not get enough credit, has also started to become a major player for Brazil. Since making his debut in 2023, the 26-year-old has played 12 times for his national team.
Gabriel’s latest appearance for Brazil came against Venezuela in the CONMEBOL World Cup on Thursday evening.
The match ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw for Dorival Júnior’s side, and the Brazilian media was not overly impressed with how Gabriel did.
While analysing his performance, Globo noted that Gabriel, who was impressive against Peru last month, was not taking as much risk with the ball for Brazil as he does for Arsenal.
While rating the Arsenal defender 6 out of 10, Globo noted: “Same level as his partner (Marquinhos). He does well in direct combat, but he still doesn’t risk as much with the ball as he is used to doing for his club.”
What Martin Keown thinks of Arsenal defender Gabriel
While the Brazilian media may still have doubts over Gabriel, Arsenal legend and talkSPORT pundit Martin Keown believes that he is one of the most underrated players around.
Keown said on talkSPORT last month: “I just feel Gabriel maybe is the one who is underappreciated a little bit. Saliba is the one who we can look at and say very classy, he is quick, he is powerful, just oozes class, Gabriel maybe not quite getting the credit he deserves.
“And I think the goals now that he scores put him on the map. He didn’t start the season last year, I believe, say on the bench early in the season, he played his way back in.
“And I talk about playing your every game as if it’s your last, and he certainly does. It really sharpened him up, the fact that it looked like he wasn’t going to be a first choice. And now he really deserves his place.”
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