- Five Arsenal players have been named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year
- Defender Gabriel Magalhaes received an award and celebrated with his partner
- LISTEN NOW: It’s all starting to happen!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes celebrated his appointment to the PFA Premier League Team of the Year with his wife via FaceTime last night.
Mikel Arteta’s team dominated the event with five players, including Gabriel and his centre-back William Saliba, included in last season’s best XI.
Despite falling painfully short of the Premier League title for the second season in a row, Arsenal have received more plaudits than Manchester City, according to ratings of their peers based on their performances over the past 12 months.
Gabriel, who joined the club from Lille in 2020, has been praised for a number of impressive performances at the heart of the Gunners’ defensive line and was on hand to collect his glittering award in person at the Opera House in Manchester.
The first person he toasted at that moment was his partner Gabrielle Figueiredo.
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes has been named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year
Gabriel celebrated his success during a FaceTime call with his wife Gabrielle Figueiredo
Sharing a screenshot of their touching conversation, Gabriel could be seen beaming as he held up his gong, while his wife grinned and visibly raised her fist in the air.
The cute caption for the clip read: ‘POV: We dream it together’.
Figueiredo held up half a heart and Gabriel blew his partner a kiss before hanging up the call.
The couple began dating in September 2020 and married in a private ceremony three years later. Their first child, Maya, was born in April 2022.
Figueiredo was born in 1997 in Rio de Janeiro and is a model and social media influencer. She is also a beauty expert and owner of a fashion and makeup brand.
Gabriel’s inclusion in the PFA marks the latest milestone in his impressive Premier League career to date, which has seen him make almost 150 appearances.
Five Arsenal players – Declan Rice, David Raya, Gabriel, William Saliba and Martin Odegaard – were selected in the XI, as voted by their colleagues based on their performances over the past 12 months
Gabriel and his partner started dating in September 2020 and have a daughter together, Maya
David Raya was appointed goalkeeper after his debut season between the posts, having surpassed Aaron Ramsdale to become Arteta’s undisputed number 1.
Alongside Saliba and Magalhaes, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice were selected in midfield. Odegaard was also named in last year’s best XI, while Rice earned his place after attracting attention following his £105m move from West Ham.
Arsenal started the new season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Wolves and next play in the top division against Aston Villa on August 24.