Last weekend, Arsenal lost a crucial match to Chelsea. However, they may also have found something of vital importance: Gabriel Paulista’s unwillingness to stand for Diego Costa’s gamesmanship shows that the Gunners are slowly regaining their fighting spirit.
The coverage of the unseemly scenes at Stamford Bridge has emphasised that Costa is a brawny Brazilian not to be messed with. Surprisingly few commentators have said the same of Gabriel. However, it was he who showed a commendable unwillingness to see his team-mate subjected to bullying behaviour. When Costa launched his assault on Koscielny, Gabriel stepped up and intervened. He refused to be intimidated by his countryman’s capers.
Yes, he might have crossed a line when he kicked out at Costa right in front of the referee. However, while many Arsenal fans will have been disappointed to see their centre-half sent off, there will be just as many supporters who will have leapt to their feet and cheered Gabriel’s readiness to stand up to Koscielny’s assailant. Arsenal are generally regarded as a perennial soft touch—Gabriel has seemingly never read that particular script.
Arsenal need some of that. Arsene Wenger’s best teams have invariably had the bit of “needle” currently evident in Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. Lifting the Premier League title requires tenacity as well as technical ability. Costa may be a wind-up merchant, but he is also a winner.
Wenger’s most successful sides have shared that ability to call upon the dark arts when required—even Dennis Bergkamp, the game’s quintessential aesthete, was not adverse to a petulant swing of an elbow from time to time. That sort of thing is rarely seen at the Emirates Stadium these days. Wenger’s Arsenal have generally cleaned up their act. There is a pervasive fear that this Arsenal team may simply be too nice to do all that is required to cross the finishing line.
Gabriel, it seems, is an exception. There is grit as well as grace in his game. Although he did not take the fight to Costa, he was more than happy to meet it and match it. If watching Costa brought back memories of the exasperating antics of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gabriel’s retaliation was reminiscent of the legendary Martin Keown. When Van Nistelrooy missed that fateful penalty in 2003, Keown was widely criticised by the media for his aggressive reaction. However, his response was a symbolic representation of a combative spirit that was key to Arsenal’s subsequent unbeaten run.
After the match, Keown wrote in his Daily Mail column about his admiration for Gabriel’s actions:
“I’m pleased Gabriel tried to stick up for his fellow defender Laurent Koscielny. For too long Arsenal’s players haven’t tried to protect each other. He just went one step too far. Though Costa obviously should have seen red too.”
That seems like a reasonable assessment. Arsenal’s sense of injustice stems as much from the fact that Costa remained on the field as that Gabriel was removed from it. Had the referee sent off both players, it would have been harsh but at least fair.
Gabriel’s suspension comes at an unfortunate time for the Brazilian. With Per Mertesacker likely to be available again for the game against Tottenham on Wednesday, the big German will now have a chance to re-establish himself in Wenger’s first-choice XI. Gabriel may have to bide his time for another opportunity.
It will come. Against Chelsea, we saw signs that he has something very important to offer this Arsenal team. It was already evident that he was a natural footballer. Now we know he is a natural fighter too. Right now, that’s exactly what the Gunners need.
Called from newsnow.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment