Arsenal went five points clear at the top of the Premier League following a 4-1 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday evening.
The Gunners were anticipated to face a stern challenge against the West Midlands outfit. The first half was tightly fought with a 0-0 scoreline. However, Arsenal stepped up after the half-time interval and controlled the game.
Gabriel Magalhaes stepped forward to open the scoring from a corner. Moments later, Martin Zubimendi bagged the Gunners’ second goal. Leandro Trossard made it 3-0 for the Gunners before Gabriel Jesus extended the lead.
Ollie Watkins did score for the visitors in stoppage time, but it was a mere consolation. Magalhaes was handed the man of the match accolade on his return to the starting XI. He delivered a top-notch showing against the Villans.
The 28-year-old was terrific alongside William Saliba in the heart of the Gunners backline, and he shifted the game towards the club early in the second half, scoring from a corner, which has been his trademark over the years.
After the game, Magalhaes took to Instagram to express his delight. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was hugely impressed by the Brazilian’s performance on the night and commented ‘Wow’ on the defender’s Instagram post.
Brazilian compatriot Joao Gomes, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers, described the £27 million defender as ‘Maquinha’, which is a Portuguese word which translates to ‘Machine’ in English.
Magalhaes’ return to full fitness is a massive boost for the Gunners as they seek to steer clear of the challenge from Manchester City, who have been in a rich vein of form in the Premier League over the past month in particular.
Arsenal find themselves 5 points ahead of the Mancunian giants at the top of the table, but the gap could be reduced to just 2 again if Pep Guardiola’s side were to get the better of Sunderland on the road on New Year’s Day.
Sunderland are unbeaten on their home turf in the league since their top-flight promotion last summer, and the Gunners will hope that the Black Cats can do them a favour by denying Man City a victory at the Stadium of Light.
