There was a lot of worry about Arsenal not having Gabriel Magalhaes for the North London Derby, but the Gunners proved they didn’t need their defender.
Gabriel is set to miss weeks due to a groin injury, which was a devastating blow for Arsenal heading into the North London Derby.
Fortunately, Eberechi Eze and co ensured that the Brazilian’s absence wasn’t felt, guiding the Gunners to a 4-1 victory at the Emirates.
Though the centre-back would’ve preferred to have been on the pitch, he wasn’t far from the action, taking up the role of spectator, wearing an Arsenal scarf to cheer on his teammates.
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How Gabriel Magalhaes celebrated the North London Derby
Gabriel scored home and away against Tottenham last season, getting a taste for the feeling of celebrating North London Derby goals.
The defender was unable to celebrate on the pitch during the match on Sunday, but he was sure to make up for missed time once Michael Oliver blew the full-time whistle.
As the Emirates serenaded the players, Gabriel was spotted on the pitch waving his Arsenal scarf above his head in celebration.
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The Brazil international’s celebrations were so wild that BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Steve Crossman admitted that he thought a fan had found a way to get onto the pitch.
“A second ago, I thought a fan had got on to the pitch because there was a big guy in a jacket whirling a red and white scarf around. It was Gabriel!”
Gabriel was jubilant after the win, watching his teammates get the job done in his absence.
Gabriel’s replacement Piero Hincapie was monstrous against Tottenham
Before the contest, many expected that Cristhian Mosquera could replace Gabriel, as the Spaniard rose as the top candidate to fill the void.
Instead, Mikel Arteta selected Piero Hincapie, who became the first player in 15 years to earn his first Premier League start in the North London Derby.
There was a worry about how much Arsenal would miss Gabriel, but the Ecuadorian relieved any anxiety throughout his performance, winning all of his aerial duels and all of his tackles.
It was a top display from Hincapie, who stood up when the stakes couldn’t have been higher.