I saw £25m Arsenal man prove he’s the most underrated player in the squad against Porto last night

Add as preferred source on Google

On what proved to be a difficult night for almost every Arsenal player against FC Porto in the Champions League, there were few positives.

For the majority of the game it looked as if Mikel Arteta’s side were going to bring a level playing field back to London, making the most of a night in which they struggled to create.

However, Galeno’s late goal has left Arsenal with a huge task at the Emirates, rather than a platform to finish the job.

Arteta will surely be both disappointed and optimistic, lamenting a missed chance but also believing that his side will get the job done.

That being said, there were still one or two good performances on the night.

Ally McCoist thought Declan Rice handled his early yellow card excellently, saying he showed all of his intelligence.

However, it was perhaps a member of Arsenal’s back line that stood out the most, a Brazilian who didn’t deserve to concede a late goal to his compatriot.

Although Gabriel Magalhaes appeared to start the game nervously, like almost every Arsenal player, he produced a stellar showing against Porto.

And perhaps he proved why he is now the most underrated player at Arsenal.

Gabriel Magalhaes was Arsenal’s most authoritative player against Porto

Harping back to the beginning of the season, it seemed as Gabriel’s place in the Arsenal XI was far from certain.

Perhaps transfer speculation was playing a part, Gabriel had been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

But with Ben White deployed centrally, it seemed as if the Brazilian had lost his place.

However, fast forward six months and Gabriel is now proving to be equally as important as William Saliba.

Yet, if you asked Arsenal fans to name the five most important players in the squad this season, Gabriel would seldom receive a mention.

But as his performance showed against Porto last night, Gabriel has become just as important as any other Arsenal player.

The £25m defender grew with the game, showing his authority when Porto often delivered awkward balls into the box.

And on a slightly disappointing night for Saliba, his centre-back partner stepped up.

All that being said, Jamie Carragher has now shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s chances of qualifying.