Gabriel interview: After football maybe I can be a security guard

Gabriel Magalhães is the protector-in-chief of the “house” of Arsenal, as he calls it, and the burly Brazilian is never off-duty. On the pitch and off it, Gabriel remains constantly alert to any potential threats, opponents or intruders.

An example of Gabriel’s vigilance came earlier this week, during an amiable interview with a small group of journalists at Arsenal’s London Colney training base. Upon hearing a Mancunian accent from one of the reporters, Gabriel produced the most contemptuous of looks. “You’re from Manchester?” he asked, his face a picture of aggression. “What are you doing here?”

He was only joking, or perhaps half-joking, but it underlined a serious point about Gabriel’s role at Arsenal. The 28-year-old is a ferocious force, a demonstrative leader and a player who is always prepared to fight for his team’s cause. If there is a battle to be had, Gabriel is sure to be the first man on the frontline. “I’m a defender,” he says. “I need to bring this energy for my team-mates, for our fans.”

Martin Odegaard, the Arsenal captain, was recently asked what Gabriel would do if he was not a footballer. He suggested the Brazilian, who is known to all at Arsenal as “Big Gabi”, could work in security. “My team-mates know me, we train every day together,” says Gabriel. “Maybe after football I can be a security guard.”

The centre-back will need all of these protective qualities on Sunday afternoon, when Arsenal meet Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final. It is a match brimming with plotlines, on the pitch and in the dugout, and Gabriel’s clash with City striker Erling Haaland could be the most important contest of all.

There have been some eye-catching duels between these two giants in the recent past. At the Etihad Stadium last season, Haaland celebrated a goal by throwing the ball at the back of Gabriel’s head.

It has all given the impression that these two players really do not like each other. Gabriel, though, insists he loves the competition. “I enjoy every game, every striker,” he says. “It is my job, so I like to battle. But he is a top player and, of course, I think he likes to play against me as well. I think it’s fun. We enjoy it.”

Is Haaland the toughest opponent that Gabriel has faced in the Premier League? “Yeah, of course,” he says.

Almost six years have passed since Arsenal signed Gabriel from Lille for a fee of around £25m. It has proven to be one of the best transfer deals in their modern history, with the “King of Brazil”, as the chant goes, becoming one of the foundations upon which Arteta’s project has been built. Only Bukayo Saka has played more matches for Arteta.

With each season in north London, Gabriel has improved as a player and a leader. Such is his growth, he is now widely considered the best centre-back in the Premier League — and a genuine contender for the player of the year award. “This season is my best season,” he says. “I need to stay humble and I just need to keep going, keep doing what I am doing. I just need to stay calm and let’s see what happens in the end.”

The phrase “stay humble” carries additional meaning when it comes to Arsenal and City, after Haaland angrily aimed it at Arteta last season. Such moments have contributed to the animosity between the two clubs and increased the emotional stakes at Wembley this weekend. “We know it is going to be a big battle,” says Gabriel. “We are ready for this.”

Gabriel’s greatest attributes as a defender are his old-school qualities: tackles, clearances, headers, blocks. Against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League earlier this month, he even stopped a powerful shot with his throat.

“I could not breathe after this,” he laughs. “I try to do my best and give everything for this badge. When I was younger, I was very aggressive. When I played with my friends they would say: ‘Hey, calm down!’

“It’s just what I do every day. If we played football, I would go to [challenge] you. It’s just in my mind. I try to defend my house.”

He is similarly powerful in attack, where he is the primary threat for most of Arsenal’s highly effective set-piece routines. He initially insists there is no secret to the team’s success in these moments. “Attack the ball, simple,” he says. But then he adds: “When we have a corner or a free-kick, I just put it in my head that I want to score. Everyone talks about ‘Gabi, Gabi, Gabi’ but it’s not only me. It’s our team. It’s the way we work together.”

Strong at the back and dangerous in attack, Gabriel comes into Sunday’s final as a player who could define the match at both ends of the pitch. His decisive moments may not involve the slickest passing moves or the most delicate pieces of technical skill, but for Gabriel there is always beauty in the battle. “Beautiful football is not only a beautiful pass”, he says. “It’s also when you defend, and the way you defend.”

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