From fighting off robbers to becoming the Premier League’s most lethal set-piece threat: How Gabriel soared head and shoulders above the rest for Arsenal

From fending off a baseball bat-wielding robber three years ago to becoming one of the Premier League’s most feared defenders, Gabriel Magalhaes is no stranger to confrontations in tight spaces.

The Brazilian centre-back’s transformation has made him a mainstay of Arsenal’s backline – and, crucially, the key to their set plans.

The 26-year-old has scored twice from corners this season: a bullet header to seal a 1-0 win over Tottenham and another header in the hard-fought 2-2 draw against Manchester City.

Under the guidance of decor guru Nicolas Jover, Arsenal have become masters of the art. Last season they scored the most goals in the Premier League (22) and this season they lead the way with four.

And Gabriel is the key. He has scored 16 league goals (fourteen from corners, two from free kicks and zero from open play) for Arsenal since joining from Lille in September 2020. That’s more than any other defender in the league in the same period (Kurt Zouma is second with 11).

When Arsenal take the corners, Gabriel’s teammates invariably create a path for him to rush at the ball and head it towards goal. He is so crucial to these routines that the setup is often built around him.

For Gabriel’s winning header against Spurs, Ben White and William Saliba were busy fending off opponents in the center of the penalty area, while Gabriel Martinelli crawled to the front post to set up Dominic Solanke.

White and Saliba gave goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario almost no room to move, while giving Gabriel the time and space to enter the danger zone from outside the crowded player group.

A slightly different routine applied for the goal against City. On that occasion, Martinelli was right in front of goalkeeper Ederson, Saliba positioned himself centrally and Riccardo Calafiori was in the mix and actually tried to score.

This time Gabriel was given an even bigger run-up, starting from a deeper position, making his jump and header all the more difficult to stop.

Against City, Gabriel missed minutes before scoring a golden chance from a Saka corner after losing his marker Jeremy Doku. City sensed the danger and put Kyle Walker on him next time. It made no difference. Gabriel (right) scored anyway.

Arsenal’s corner routine has terrified teams across the country. But Gabriel’s journey to becoming a permanent supremo started in Brazil. As a 15-year-old he arrived on trial at Avai FC in Santa Catarina. Manager Diogo Fernandes was willing to take a punt on a defender with a slim build and who was initially weak in challenges. However, he did have the tools needed to be good in the air.

“Gabriel has always been an athlete who absorbed a lot of information given to him by the coaching staff,” Fernandes told Mail Sport. “Until the Under 15 age group he didn’t have a very good attacking aerial game.

‘But at Under 17 he eventually improved that. At the time we had assigned a professional to work specifically with the youth categories, with an emphasis on finishing, defensive and attacking direction and set pieces.

“Gabriel was part of this program where he improved his aerial game – especially offensively. We benefited greatly from this later.

‘He scored a lot of goals, and it became routine. In every set-piece, Gabriel was a reference and thanks to his knowledge he always scored goals.

“He wasn’t a player who was getting ready, so to speak, but he was always refining himself and reacting very quickly to everything that was put in front of him.”

Fabricio Bento was one of the coaches who worked with Gabriel on his course at Avai. Due to his refinement, the defender literally reached new heights.

“He was already tall, so he always stood out,” Bento told Mail Sport. ‘We worked on heading, but he already had that skill. In the youth categories he not only had the ability to head well, but also to score goals. He could always score goals in the youth teams, which made our work easier.

“We helped him refine some situations, such as improving his timing to attack the ball better. And he always had a knack for scoring, especially at the near post, where he anticipated the defenders’ movements.

“We focused a lot on drills for timing the ball and attacking it, especially during set pieces, positioning him to attack the near post and the ball. These were the specific exercises that we practiced often, not only with him but also with others. We put a lot of emphasis on this to help them get good positioning in the box.”

That foundation work has paid off. Gabriel turned professional and captained Avai as a teenager before signing for Lille in January 2017.

He was loaned out to fellow Ligue 1 side Troyes and then to Dinamo Zagreb, where he struggled for minutes at both. But upon his return in 2018, boss Christophe Galtier brought Gabriel back into the fold and kick-started his meteoric rise. He was soon on Arsenal’s radar and the Gunners swooped in 2020, signing him for £27 million. He is now one of the first names on their team sheet.

The performance and clean sheet (Arsenal held the most in the Premier League last season) have been made possible by Gabriel feeling more comfortable off the pitch.

Mail Sport revealed in November 2021 that the 6ft 3in defender had fought off a robber who came at him with a baseball bat after demanding the footballer’s car keys, mobile phone and watch when he found his £45,000 Mercedes in his garage left.

He and his friend were followed by three men after a night out. During the scuffle, Gabriel punched the would-be thief in the face and struggled with him before wriggling free. The incident shook Gabriel awake.

But since that collision, Gabriel’s life has been quiet and that is reflected in his performances. Due to interest from Saudi clubs, he was left out of the starting line-up for the first three league matches of last season. He then started every league match of the campaign bar one.

Family has played a key role in his transformation. Gabriel married his wife Gabrielle in June 2023 and they have a daughter, Maya, aged two. He is family-oriented, something that goes back to his teenage days in Brazil, where he became homesick after leaving

Sao Paulo for Avai. That bond is still there. On what has changed for Gabriel in the past year, Arteta said: “I think about his role in the team. The way he was perceived when he arrived. Obviously the language was a barrier, he didn’t have the environment, he didn’t have the family that he has today. He made a lot of right decisions.

“He has proven to everyone how committed he is to the team and the club. And his achievements are undeniable; they have taken him to another level in terms of the standards he sets for the team and the way we have to defend.”

There is a large Brazilian contingent at Arsenal which makes him feel at home. Gabriel Jesus, Martinelli, Neto and Jorginho (Italian nationality but born in Imbituba, Brazil) all share the same language. Jesus, Martinelli and Gabriel have a particularly close bond with each other.

But it’s the relationship with defensive partner William Saliba that really shines on the field. While Saliba’s ability has long been praised, Mail Sport understands that Arsenal often felt Gabriel’s quality was overlooked.

Not anymore. The duo is very strong. Arsenal had the best defensive record in the league last season and have continued in the same vein this season. Only Liverpool conceded fewer goals.

So the foundation has been laid and the fixed objectives continue to be achieved. If Arsenal want to win the title this time, Gabriel will be in charge. Additional reporting by Josue Seixas