Arsenal maintained their unbeaten run in the Premier League after securing a 2-2 draw against Manchester City on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium.
Alan Shearer was heavily impressed by the performance of Arsenal defender Gabriel, who scored the second goal for the Gunners with a thumping header.
The BBC Match of the Day pundit was heavily impressed by Gabriel’s “sensational” movement for the goal, as he moved away from his markers twice during the game.
In the first instance, he could not place the header on target, but on the next occasion, he didn’t miss the chance, and City’s defence was left in stitches.
Shearer said, as quoted by BBC Sport: “It was hardly surprising that it was a set-piece that gave Arsenal the lead against City. Everyone knows how dangerous they are now, particularly at corners, but because they are so good at them, they are still very difficult to stop.
“That’s not what happened against City, though, whether for Arsenal’s first corner against them – when Gabriel escaped Jeremy Doku and headed over – or for the next one, where he got away from Kyle Walker and powered the ball into the net.
“Instead, while everyone knew what Gabriel was doing and where he wanted to go, his sensational movement meant they could not stop him, and he was also only one part of Arsenal’s plan.”
Arsenal produced masterclass defending but won’t be happy with the result
Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards was also heavily impressed by Gabriel, and he hailed him as “unbelievable”.
Gabriel was involved in two tackles and five clearances, apart from managing a goal. It was a masterclass performance from Arsenal defenders, who didn’t give City enough chances to breach the defence in the second half.
As a unit, they were rock solid at the back, and City were left to shoot from a distance as they searched for an equaliser. Collectively, they players had put in an incredible effort to frustrate City for a long period of time.
In the end, John Stones scored the equaliser in the dying seconds of the match, and Arsenal players would be gutted by the result. They were so close to picking up all three points against the Premier League champions but will have to remain content with just one point.
