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FEW central defenders in global football feel the need to have a signature goal celebration.
Yet, not many can claim the aerial capability that Arsenal’s Gabriel possesses.
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The Brazilian center-back’s 10th-minute header that opened the scoring against West Ham at the London Stadium marked his third goal in the Premier League this season and his fourth across all competitions.
This brings his tally of headed goals in the league to 12 since his arrival in England in September 2020, just five behind Virgil van Dijk and Sami Hyypia on the all-time Premier League headed goals leaderboard.
While he still trails John Terry by 15 goals, it would be risky to bet against Gabriel narrowing that gap or even surpassing it by the end of the current season, especially as the 26-year-old continues to thrive in North London.
His latest goal – a flicked header from a Bukayo Saka corner in a commanding 5-2 victory over a struggling West Ham team – was celebrated with a unique gesture, linking his fingers over his eyes.
This celebration first appeared this season during the 5-1 Champions League win in Lisbon, leading to speculation that it might be a playful dig at Viktor Gyokeres’ similar celebration, where the Swede covers his mouth instead.
However, a repeat performance in East London may dispel those theories.
Gabriel’s gesture is suggested to honor comic book hero Batman – an idea bolstered by Arsenal’s social media accounts, which shared a superhero emoji shortly after his goal.
Fans can anticipate seeing that celebration more frequently in the upcoming weeks, particularly as Arsenal’s set-piece effectiveness has revived following a recent four-match winless streak, reigniting their title challenge.
Nevertheless, Gabriel’s teammates continue to jest about it. Jorginho remarked: “We tease him about [the celebration], and he enjoys it too. It’s wonderful how much fun we’re having.”
After five different goal scorers in Lisbon, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal replicated that performance against West Ham, with Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, and Saka also scoring in the first half.
Aaron Wan Bissaka and Emerson managed to net goals to briefly reduce the deficit to 4-2, but the visitors’ comeback was short-lived.
Yet it was Gabriel’s performance that stood out most, as he was the last player to leave the pitch on Saturday night, relishing the adulation from the away fans as he led the chants.
His goal resulted from a slightly adjusted NFL-inspired strategy devised by set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, allowing Gabriel to roam freely at the back post while the others positioned themselves as screeners.
It’s puzzling how West Ham allowed Arsenal’s primary threat an unchallenged header. It’s not exactly a secret where the ball is intended – the corner-takers even signal towards Gabriel before delivering.
When asked how to neutralize Gabriel, Jorginho chuckled: “I’m not giving away any secrets! He’s exceptionally talented. It requires a team effort to manage him. Everyone needs to pitch in, and then he truly becomes a threat.
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“He’s been incredibly advantageous for us.”
Arteta noted: “The more [Gabriel scores], the more confident he becomes. You can see from his body language and communication that he’s on the brink of scoring.
“Having multiple goal-scoring threats makes our team less predictable, compelling opponents to prepare for different scenarios. It’s a plus for us.”
Some concerns about Gabriel’s fitness linger ahead of the coming Premier League showdown with Manchester United at the Emirates, as he was substituted at halftime for precautionary reasons due to a pre-existing muscular issue sustained in Lisbon.
Nonetheless, Arsenal enters the festive season looking strong, having secured three straight victories across all competitions and scoring 13 goals in that span, including a 3-0 home win against Nottingham Forest.
Arteta’s squad also enjoys the advantage of not having to travel outside London for any matches until January 4.
Jorginho remarked: “We’re currently in a strong rhythm. We need to keep our focus and continue pushing forward.
“As we welcome players back from injury and have the full squad available, it has made a substantial difference. We’ve rectified what wasn’t working, and now it seems to be functioning well.”
