Joao Pedro names ‘inspired’ Arsenal star as ‘toughest’ opponent this season | Football

Chelsea forward Joao Pedro has picked out Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes as the ‘toughest’ defender he has come up against this season.

Gabriel has once again proven a monumental figure at the back for Arsenal this term, with the Gunners boasting far and away the best defensive record in the Premier League.

The 28-year-old Brazilian has built a formidable partnership with William Saliba over the last four years and the duo are widely considered to be among the most complete centre-half pairings in European football.

It has seen Gabriel and Saliba named in the PFA Team of the Year in each of the last two seasons – and both players appear shoo-ins to continue their run in the side when it is unveiled in August.

Arsenal’s Community Shield win in 2023 remains Gabriel’s sole piece of silverware since swapping Lille for north London six years ago, though, something he will be desperate to put right this season.

Victory over relegation-threatened West Ham would go some way to achieving that this afternoon, a result that would putt Gabriel and Co within touching distance of a Premier League title which has eluded the club for the last 22 years.

There can be no doubting that Arteta’s squad stand on the cusp of greatness, with the side also just one game away from a first-ever Champions League title.

Gabriel will know he and Saliba will likely have to perform at their very best if they are to keep out the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue when Arsenal lock horns with Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest later this month.

But according to Pedro, Arsenal perhaps have the player best-equipped to snuff out PSG’s embarrassment of riches in attack having gone toe-to-toe with his fellow countryman in both the Premier League and Carabao Cup in recent months.

‘The toughest defender to play against this season? Top three: Willian Pacho and Jonathan Tah, but Gabriel Magalhaes was the toughest in my opinion,’ the Chelsea and Brazil attacker told TNT Sports Brasil.

‘I was surprised by his speed, but I gave him a hard time, too! He’s been inspired this season.’

Pedro joked that he was ‘happy’ to have Gabriel as a team-mate rather than an opponent ahead of this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

‘We have a great relationship,’ he added.

‘I’m happy he’s on my side in the World Cup.’

Speaking to ESPN ahead of Arsenal’s trip to West Ham, Gabriel reassured fans that he had no plans to leave as there were still plenty of ‘dreams’ for him to fulfil with the Gunners.

‘I think that since I arrived at Arsenal, I have been very well received. So it’s the club that I have in my heart forever,’ the Brazil international explained.

‘I’m very happy here. I feel at home, my family loves the club. It’s been satisfying for me to have all this time with the Arsenal jersey, so I certainly want to achieve great things here.

‘I’m about to reach six years at the club. I do still have dreams to come here. I am happy and I hope to be able to bring a lot of joy to the fans who deserve it.’

Gabriel is under no illusions about how ‘difficult’ it may be for Arsenal’s squad to get over the line in both the Premier League and Champions League this season.

‘We are living in a moment… a very intense year, because everyone knows, we are in every competition,’ he continued.

‘We have a very good group, where all the players are happy, they are able to have opportunities. And our expectation is that we can go step by step.

‘We certainly want to win titles, but we also know that it’s very difficult, but we have to keep in mind that we can do it.

‘So we are very relaxed about that, for sure we are under pressure, everyone says a lot of things from the outside, but we here have a good headspace and are focused on what is to come.’

Asked to reveal his favourite moment yet in an Arsenal shirt, Gabriel replied: ‘There are several moments, but I will talk about a game, that was the match where I scored the goal against Tottenham at their stadium.

‘I think it was a very special moment for me and it was a dream that I had.

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