"Arsenal look like they have a difficult run ahead of them now that key centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes is out injured. The Brazil international picked up a thigh problem whilst playing for his country in a recent friendly against Senegal at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, which could mean he now faces a lengthy absence out of the team. This could hardly have come at a worse time for Arsenal as they prepare for a very challenging run of fixtures coming up in quick succession."
"Arsenal's next three games are Tottenham at home, Bayern Munich at home, and Chelsea away, all in the space of just seven days. The fixture list will come up with tough schedules like this from time to time, and it's very bad luck for Arsenal to be without Gabriel now, in what could prove such a crucial period of the season."
"Admittedly, there aren't that many games to go from when Arsenal haven't had Gabriel involved, but it gives you some idea of how quickly his absence could be noticed. Do Arsenal have the depth to cope without Gabriel? One difference from the past, however, is that now Arsenal will surely feel they have better cover for Gabriel than they did previously."
Gabriel Magalhaes sustained a thigh injury while playing for Brazil against Senegal at the Emirates and may face a lengthy absence. Arsenal now enter a congested period with Tottenham, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea all within seven days. Opta data shows a clear performance gap: with Gabriel in the team Arsenal have won 24 of 39 matches (61.5% win rate) and averaged 2.1 points per game; without him they have won 4 of 10 matches (40.0% win rate) and averaged 1.7 points per game. The smaller sample without Gabriel nonetheless indicates his defensive importance, while Arsenal believe squad cover has improved.
Read at www.caughtoffside.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]