“Saudi move might have some truth”, “Will leave” – Arsenal fans concerned as 25-year-old star is named only on the bench against Crystal Palace
Arsenal supporters online find themselves grappling with unease as defender Gabriel Magalhaes is once again relegated to the sidelines for the clash with Crystal Palace on August 21.
While a cloud of injury concerns looms over the Gunners, the centre-back was expected to pick up a spot in the starting lineup, but this has not happened.
The conundrum surrounding Gabriel's absence from the starting XI despite these circumstances has led to a surge of discontent among the fans. Many expected him to find his place in Arteta's defensive formation, especially given the current health woes plaguing the squad. But the manager's decision to leave Gabriel on the bench has not sat well with the Arsenal faithful.
The supporters have taken to Twitter to voice their concerns and seek answers with tweets like these:
Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has been struggling with a calf problem, seems to have fully recovered and was named on the bench at Selhurst Park. However, other players like Gabriel Jesus and Jurrien Timber remain unavailable.
Questions also persist around the readiness of previously underutilized players such as Folarin Balogun, Albert Sambi Lokonga, and Mohamed Elneny, all battling various ailments.
They aren't the only players on the sidelines, as Jurrien Timber's Premier League introduction was cut short due to injury. Just 50 minutes into his debut, Timber fell victim to an anterior cruciate ligament tear, sidelining him for a considerable duration. Yet, with the Dutch defender out of contention, Gabriel has remained relegated to bench duties.
Crystal Palace and Arsenal lock horns after narrow opening wins
Two London-based football clubs, fresh from narrowly securing victories in their opening Premier League matches, are set to face off at Selhurst Park on Monday night. Crystal Palace, having narrowly defeated Sheffield United 1-0 at Bramall Lane, will host Arsenal, who managed to edge past Nottingham Forest 2-1.
The game against Forest saw a dazzling moment from Gabriel Martinelli, setting up Eddie Nketiah, who then fired Arsenal into the lead. Adding to Nottingham's woes, Bukayo Saka sent an explosive shot into the top corner, giving former Gunners goalkeeper Matt Turner a bitter welcome.
As has been the case in the past, though, Arsenal nearly squandered their lead. They offered Forest a chance to come back into the game through Taiwo Awoniyi's rapid counter-attacking goal. Memories of previous collapses against Liverpool and West Ham United seemed to haunt them, but the Gunners managed to hang on for an uneasy win.
Premier League runners-up, Arsenal, boasted an impressive record of 10 clean sheets in 19 games on the road from the last term, the most in the league. They also racked up 39 points away from home.
But under Arteta's leadership, according to SportsMole, the Gunners have lost all four of their Monday night matches.
They will be hoping to break this poor Monday form as they face the Eagles on Monday.