The Premier League race has heated up, and how. Liverpool finds their lead increasingly challenged by both Manchester City and Arsenal. What was once a clear advantage for Liverpool has now turned into a thrilling three-way battle, setting the stage for an exhilarating campaign right up to the season’s conclusion.
Occupying the second place in the league, Mikel Arteta will really fancy his chance at the league title. Liverpool’s struggles with a slew of injuries have left them vulnerable, while Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City stumbled against Chelsea, providing Arsenal with a favorable opportunity. The Gunners also had a stellar week unlike their competitors, notably thrashing Burnley 5-0 and extending their winning streak to five consecutive Premier League matches.
Arsenal’s impressive recent string of victories has highlighted their prowess in front of goal, with the team netting an impressive 21 goals across five games since the winter break. However, equal credit must be given to their defensive solidity, having conceded only two goals during this period.
And if Arteta has to choose his most influential player among the pool, one name that is bound to be in the discussion has to be Gabriel Magalhães .
Centre-back Gabriel Magalhães has excelled on both ends of the pitch, scoring three goals in those five matches while also contributing to the team’s impressive defensive record. It’s no wonder he’s been recognized with Player of the Month accolades and is a regular fixture in Team of the Week selections.
Arsenal fans have not overlooked his performance and have come up with a new chant before the all important Champions League Round of 16 game against Porto.
The New Gabriel Magalhaes Chant
A viral video on social media captured a heartwarming scene aboard a train, where passionate Arsenal supporters were united in chanting the new song dedicated to Gabriel Magalhães.
The lyrics go:
“You’ll fall in love, I know you will,
our number 6 is the king of Brazil!
Our centre half, he’ll give you hell.
Our wall at the back is Gabriel.
Ole ole, ole ola!”
Gabriel Magalhães has been a colossal presence at the heart of Arsenal’s defence for nearly five years now. There was a set of supporters that doubted his long-term future, citing his ball-playing restrictions and how the Brazilian would not fit into a complete set of players under Mikel Arteta’s style of play.
Proving doubters wrong and making them eat their words, the Brazilian has been one of the most influential figures in the Arsenal side in the ongoing campaign, scoring four goals in the Premier League this season.
Gabriel Magalhaes’ influence extends far beyond his goal-scoring contributions. While he’s indeed a rock-solid presence in defense, his versatility has also been evident in covering for the left-back when needed. Moreover, his ability on the ball has seen significant improvement, making him a key player in Arsenal’s buildup play and overall strategy.
He has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent performers, who has not only made his presence felt on pitch but also his love for the club apparent. Brought in as the first guy into Arteta’s project, Gabriel now has his own chant, and a deserved one at that.
Fans’ Reaction to the new chant
The new chant has deeply resonated with Gunners fans to such an extent that it’s truly remarkable to see floods of positive and wholesome comments under the post.
Arsenal fans are absolutely delighted with the new chant, describing it as “fantastic” and “buzzing.” Some have even gone as far as to say that it’s worth the “goosebumps.” There’s a strong sentiment among fans that the next Arsenal match must resound with the sounds of this new chant.
However, a particular football enthusiast has come forward with an observation, noting that the Gabriel song bears a striking resemblance to a chant previously used by Manchester United supporters for Edison Cavani, a couple of years ago.
But Arsenal supporters don’t appear to be bothered by these allegations, as they are simply thrilled that Gabriel finally received the song he deserves. Fans have expressed their appreciation for his consistency and outstanding performances, affirming that he has long deserved his own chant.
But Arsenal supporters seem to forget the fact that this isn’t the first time a song has been dedicated to the defender.
A few months back, the YouTube channel @artninegooner released a song dedicated to the defender, featuring extensive appreciative lyrics and a humorous video. However, despite accumulating 2.6k views, the video didn’t gain significant attention.
Another occurrence took place in October last year when Arsenal fans devised a song for Gabriel at a bar in Portugal, sung to the tune of ‘What Is Love’ by Haddaway. Despite amassing 374k views upon surfacing online, the song struggled to gain substantial traction, eventually fading into obscurity as people seemingly forgot about it entirely.
So, the new Gabriel Magalhães song is definitely not ‘new.’ However, Gunners supporters will undoubtedly hope that this latest chant doesn’t follow the same path as its predecessors and instead resonates loudly throughout the stands of the Emirates Stadium.