‘He’s grown so much’: Arteta says Arsenal now have a player who’s earned huge respect from his teammates

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Arsenal ran out 2-1 winners against West Ham yesterday to keep their top four hopes firmly alive and kicking for the season.

Tottenham had won earlier in the day to increase the pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side, and the Gunners duly delivered with a fine performance. Goals from Rob Holding and Gabriel Magalhaes ensured the three points.

Following the game, there was a lot of focus on a number of Arsenal players who did well. Holding was one of those players, with Arteta insisting after the game he was the man of the match. However, the Spaniard also reserved special praise for Holding’s central defensive partner and fellow goalscorer, Gabriel.

“I think he has grown so much, especially as a character. Obviously his English is better, the way he is presenting himself, the respect that he earned around the boys.”

“Those performances have been really consistent throughout the season, defending and now scoring really important goals for us, which is an add on that you hope to have in your centre defenders but it’s easy to find,” Arteta told the club’s official website.

Gabriel has developed quite the partnership with Ben White this season. But he did well with Holding yesterday, who himself has become a favourite among fans and his fellow players.

TBR’s View: Gabriel Proving Quite The Signing For Arsenal

The Brazilian defender looks more and more the bargain signing as time goes on. Arsenal only paid around £23m for him and he’s improved week by week.

In terms of the modern defender, he has a bit of everything in the locker. Gabriel is a good defender who isn’t afraid of the basic arts of defending. However, he’s also good with the ball, quick, and gets a goal as well.

Edu pulled off a bit of a masterstroke here really, and Gabriel is a top player now at this level.