Jamie Carragher believes one of Arsenal’s stars could be “the most influential player in the Premier League right now” after watching the Gunners beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at the Emirates on Sunday.
Eberechi Eze was the quickest to react to Declan Rice’s second ball from a free-kick, and against his former club, he displayed enviable technique and fired the ball into the top corner for a sublime winning goal.
Since we won this match in the most predictable way, we thought it prudent to write a match report for the remaining 29 games of the season. The result meant the Gunners extended their lead at the top of the table to four points after Manchester City lost 1-0 to Aston Villa.
It was centre-back Gabriel who brought the ball down for Eze, and the Brazilian’s excellent defensive performance allowed Carragher to boldly assert his influence compared to other Premier League players.
Asked if the Crystal Palace team would have groaned when they saw Gabriel on Arsenal’s team sheet, Carragher told Sky Sports: “Yes. I think you could argue that he could be considered the most influential player in the Premier League at the moment.”
“If you look at Arsenal’s clean sheet and defensive record and the threat they pose from set pieces, he’s as influential as anyone, probably even Erling Haaland.”
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Former West Ham midfielder Nigel Leao-Coker hailed the 27-year-old as “one of the best centre-backs in the world” after the Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.
“For me, Arsenal have taken us to a new level this season,” former West Ham and Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Leao-Coker told CBS Sports.
“They look really hard to beat, they’re well organized, they’re really strong now, so there’s no excuses anymore and they have everything they need.
“They have the weapons to win top trophies and it is in their hands. They have even taken their defense to a new level and are very difficult to beat.”
“We need to talk about Gabriel and ask if he is one of the best centre-backs in the world right now? I think so.
“Look at the role he plays in the final third. What I like about him is that he has a strong desire to get close to the ball, whether it’s at the back or when he goes up.
“The two centre-backs take pride in keeping clean sheets and are willing to defend all day long. Arsenal may have the best defense in European football at the moment.”
