“Arteta out if he can’t start”, “Why not starting him” – Arsenal fans frustrated as 25-year-old star is not named in starting lineup to face Fulham
The tension in the Arsenal fanbase is palpable as defender Gabriel Magalhaes finds himself sidelined in the club's clash against Fulham this weekend.
Despite featuring in 48 matches across all competitions in the prior season, the 25-year-old has yet to don the starting jersey this year.
Supporters had pinned their hopes on Gabriel making his season debut in the squad's face-off against Crystal Palace, especially given the injury sustained by Jurrien Timber. Instead, Mikel Arteta, the man at the helm of the Gunners, persisted with the Ben White-William Saliba partnership in the heart of the defense.
Now, they hoped he would start against Fulham, but he has been left on the bench once more. The state of affairs has led to rampant speculation about Gabriel's future at the Emirates Stadium.
Nonetheless, manager Mikel Arteta has declared that the Brazilian is integral to Arsenal's game plan for the year ahead. Speaking to the media ahead of the Fulham game, Arteta emphasized (via Metro):
"Gabi will play a lot of games, I’m sure and it’s about bringing the competition high and try to make the team play better, better, better and better and be more dominant and win more games. That’s the purpose of all of us."
This managerial assurance has done little to quell the wave of disgruntlement sweeping across Arsenal's fan base. They've taken to Twitter, demanding clearer explanations from Arteta, showcasing their impatience with posts like these:
Arsenal set to extend their London derby reign as they host Fulham in a battle of contrasts
Arsenal are all geared up to extend their supremacy in London derbies as they open their home turf to Fulham in the third week of the Premier League season. They managed a narrow 1-0 win against Crystal Palace, while the Cottagers got a bitter 3-0 thrashing from Brentford on their home soil.
The Gunners may have scraped through in their duel against Palace, but it was far from a cakewalk. A fortified Palace defense made it challenging for Arteta's men to find their rhythm. To add fuel to the fire, the final moments of the game were fraught with tension after Takehiro Tomiyasu was shown a debatable red card.
Despite the adversity, Arsenal's saving grace came from Martin Odegaard's calmly executed penalty, which gave the Gunners the lead. With the club's early performance, they find themselves in a coveted position. Currently, they're one of only three teams to kick off the 2023-24 Premier League season on a winning note.
Nestled in third place, they're trailing behind reigning champs Manchester City and the season's early frontrunners, Brighton & Hove Albion.