Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was quick to praise defender Gabriel Magalhaes who was adjudged the man of the match during the 3-2 Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday.
The Gunners secured a 3rd straight win in the top-flight following a fantastic performance against Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They raced into a deserved 3-0 lead at the interval and looked on course for a convincing victory.
However, a David Raya howler in the 64th minute gifted a goal to Cristian Romero. Just minutes before stoppage time, Declan Rice fouled Ben Davies in the box which allowed Son Heung-min to convert a penalty to make it 3-2.
Arsenal managed to hold on to their slender advantage for the rest of the derby. Magalhaes played a big role in central defence and there were no surprises that he was handed the man of the match following the hard-fought win.
After the game, Magalhaes took to Instagram to point out that ‘north London is red’. He was praised by several Arsenal stars including captain Odegaard who described him as a ‘Machine’ for his superb defensive performance.
Gabriel did not have much work to do with both goals being conceded through individual errors in the second half, but he comfortably handled the threat of Richarlison, who came off the bench to lead the attack for Tottenham.
As per FotMob, the Brazilian star won 89% of his passes in the derby. He completed 100% of his ground duels and made 4 clearances for the Gunners. He was certainly at the top of his game in a much-win encounter.
Arsenal are currently trailing in the title race. Manchester City are second with a 1-point deficit, but they have a game in hand over the Gunners. Pep Guardiola’s men are in pole position to win the league for a 4th season running.
The Gunners will need City to drop points in 1 of their remaining 4 fixtures to stand any chance of winning the league. Arsenal also need to concentrate on winning their final 3 games of the top-flight campaign.
