'He was brilliant': Alan Shearer impressed by £38m Arsenal star and Gabriel after win over Tottenham

Gabriel Magalhaes was the hero for Arsenal after they beat Tottenham 1-0 in the north London derby on Sunday. Before a ball was kicked, Arsenal knew that they had three very tough away games from the off – Villa Park, the derby game and the Etihad. As of this moment, Mikel Arteta’s side have made it two wins from two on the road and they will now prepare for that ultimate Manchester City test on Sunday.

Of course, before all of that, Arsenal have to deal with Champions League matters, but this is an even bigger week for the team. Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard were absent for the Tottenham trip , yet Arsenal battled and fought to three points, which included a very deserved three points and clean sheet. Yes, the title chasers weren’t at their free-flowing best, but they defended for their lives and they didn’t allow Spurs to breathe on the ball.



It’s a big reason why they had the best defence in the Premier League last season – conceded 29 goals – and they have now picked up where they left off. Last season, Arsenal lost Jurrien Timber through a long-term injury and the £38 million star’s return has given his team a huge lift. Timber was outstanding at Villa last month and now Alan Shearer has given him his flowers for his latest display, as he told Premier League Productions (15/09/24 at 4:05 pm).

Shearer has already praised Gabriel , but he was sure to highlight Timber and how he was ‘brilliant’, bearing in mind that he was also on a yellow card. Jurrien Timber praised after Arsenal beat Tottenham “I thought he more than played his part,” said Shearer. “He was brilliant at left-back, even when he got a yellow card in the first half because, we are all sat here at half-time thinking, ‘there is maybe a red card coming here’.

“He had to do really well and get his tackles and timings to perfection in that second half. I think he did that really well.” Arsenal’s backline David Raya, Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel and Timber.

You feel this is now Arsenal’s starting back four. Last season, there was chopping and changing at left-back, but Timber is now back and you sense he is the main starter ahead of the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior and Kieran Tierney. READ MORE: Ian Wright says Mikel Arteta was frustrated with Arsenal player against Tottenham Not forgetting new boy Riccardo Calafiori, who can also operate at centre-back, with Arteta needing these players at some stage.

It’s a case of when he can chop and change them because Arsenal are going to have to deal with a lot of pressure games, especially when the Champions League games kick in..