"He’s always seeming to want to kick somebody" - Pundit criticizes Arsenal star for his lack of composure
Pundit John Giles has criticized Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes' lack of composure.
Magalhaes has been a key component of the Gunners' defense this season and has formed a rock-solid partnership with William Saliba. He is one of the first names on Mikel Arteta's team sheet.
Giles, though, reckons that Magalhaes tends to get involved in scuffles and also pointed out the Brazilian's tendency to make mistakes. He pinpointed Magalhaes' weak pass that hit Oleksander Zinchenko in the back during the 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa. Ollie Watkins gathered the stray ball on that occasion before seeing his shot hit the post.
Giles said on The Stand with Eamon Dunphy (via The Boot Room):
"He's always seeming to want to kick somebody. He doesn't seem to be composed in any situation. He's good at certain things, he goes and meets the ball. I think he's a good winner of the ball, but at a price. There's always something. The week before, he made a terrible pass when they were playing at home against Villa."
Arteta, however, has relied heavily on Magalhaes this season. The Brazilian centre-back has made 45 appearances across competitions this season, helping keep 19 clean sheets.
Gabriel Magalhaes was spotted fuming at Arsenal teammate Gabriel Martinelli during the win against Wolves
Arsenal defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 in their previous Premier League game at the Molineux. Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the 45th minute before an injury-time goal from Martin Odegaard (90+5') sealed the fate of the match.
However, there was a late scare for the Gunners. With the score 1-0, a defensive lapse from substitute Gabriel Martinelli let Wolves defender Rayat Ait-Nouri test the Gunners' defense.
Magalhaes was unhappy with the way Maritnelli played his part and let his teammate know about his feelings.
Arsenal moved to the top of the league with the win, sitting above Liverpool on goal difference. They are a point above Manchester City, who have a game in hand.