Arsenal Star Knighted 'Legend' By Martin Keown

· GiveMeSport

Arsenal turned to their defenders at both ends of the pitch against Everton, and the centre-back pairing stepped up to the plate.

Arsenal made light work of David Moyes' Everton side on Saturday afternoon, unaffected by rivals Manchester City having dropped points against Aston Villa earlier in the day.

The Gunners went level on points with Enzo Maresca's men thanks to their 2-0 win over the Toffees, who had been unbeaten across all competitions before the international break.

It was a dominant performance from Arsenal , but Mikel Arteta needed goals from two defenders in Ezri Konsa and Gabriel to ensure that all three points stayed at the Emirates Stadium. The North London outfit's back four once again earned plaudits in the clash, but it was the Brazilian centre-back who looked particularly dominant.

Despite having a reputation as a huge threat from set pieces, Gabriel had gone 43 matches without finding the back of the net for Arsenal. That changed in the 68th minute on Saturday.

The defender remained in a dangerous position after a corner was cleared and drifted unmarked across the box to be in the right place at the right time to nod in a free header from a Ben White cross - Gabriel does not miss those.

For a player who has now scored 25 goals for the Gunners, it was an incredible drought for the towering centre-back, but the defender offered so much more than his goal against Everton.

When analysing the match on Match of the Day, Gunners legend Martin Keown said: > "Gabriel, what is he in now, sixth season? 200th game?

> "This guy is a machine. Rarely do you see anyone get the better of him, he's quick to see danger.

> "I've seen him mature a lot over the years, become the leader at the back. He had quite a battle with [Thierno] Barry, which he enjoys. He just swotted him like a fly throughout the whole match, he was immense."

Everton striker Barry did cause problems for the Arsenal defence, but Keown labelled Gabriel's approach to defending as 'emphatic' and 'infectious'. The Toffees talisman has been in fine form this season with six goals to his name across all competitions.

The pundit even went as far as to label the Brazilian a 'legend' at the club, thanks to his rise since arriving at the Emirates Stadium from Lille in 2020.

There was also praise for centre-back Ezri Konsa from Keown on Match of the Day. The England international stabbed home from the back post after just seven minutes, for his first goal in an Arsenal shirt.

The player's £55 million arrival in the summer came after first choice William Saliba suffered an injury at the World Cup with France. In his absence, Konsa has stepped up and built a formidable partnership with Gabriel.

Speaking after the win over Everton, Arteta said: > "To come to a club like Arsenal with no pre-season, Saliba is here and other players, and to position yourself in that manner with the naturality he has and put in the performances he has - the chemistry with Gabi that is so solid - is so difficult to do. We’re lucky to have him."

Saliba is now back training on the grass and it won't be too long until the Frenchman is pushing to reclaim his place in the starting XI. However, with performances such as the one on Saturday, it's not a given that Konsa will simply step aside to allow Saliba back into the side.

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