'TWO players coming to mark me!' - Gabriel opens up on Arsenal's prowess from corners & what goes through his mind at every single set-piece

Gabriel has been a transformative figure in North London, not just for his defensive solidity but for his remarkable output in the opposing penalty area. Having recently surpassed his 250th appearance for the club, the Brazilian is closing in on Laurent Koscielny's goalscoring record for an Arsenal defender. The secret, he suggests, lies in a striker's instinct that dates back to his formative years in South America.

“I think it’s quite good,” Gabriel told the Gunners' official website. “I’m happy to score when I can, I know it’s close to the record at Arsenal now. I want to be in the history of this club, so I would love to get that as well. When I was young I played up front so I scored a lot of goals. It’s obviously a lot harder to do that as a defender, but I’ve worked at it and I’ve learned a lot. I work a lot on it in training, like we all do. People might talk about Gabi scoring at corners, but it’s group work. We work all together on a team on set-pieces and they all help me like I try to help them.”

As Arsenal have become the most efficient set-piece team in England, Gabriel has found that he is no longer afforded any space in the box. Opposition teams are now prioritising his movement above almost all others, a tactical shift that the defender believes actually benefits Mikel Arteta’s side by creating opportunities for his teammates to exploit the vacated zones.

“Yes, of course, it’s getting more and more difficult because when I arrive in the box often there will be two players coming to mark me,” the defender explained. “That’s really good for us though, because as I say, it’s not only me who’s going to score. It opens up spaces for the others and they can all score too. Whenever I go forward for a free-kick or a corner, I know it’s a big chance for us. I put that thought in my head: ’I can score this one.’ It’s my mentality at every single corner.”

Under the guidance of set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, the Gunners have turned dead-ball situations into a science. Gabriel noted that the intensity of this specific training is unlike anything he has experienced previously in his career. While the routines may look chaotic to the outsider, the Brazilian stresses that every movement is calculated and communicated long before the ball is delivered into the box.

“We usually have a plan,” Gabriel said. “But sometimes you need to make a decision on the pitch. But before something happens, I already have in my mind what we’re going to do. Like I say, we work together and everyone knows what they need to do on the pitch. I’m not going to tell you the secrets, but it’s not just about being physical and being first to the ball, it’s about concentration and timing to attack the ball too. I’ve never worked on set-pieces before like we do now. Not only Arsenal, but all the teams work a lot on that, all the teams want to score from set-pieces. We have the quality here to put the crosses in and to score the goals, so we need to enjoy that and take advantage of our work.”

While his attacking contributions grab the headlines, Gabriel's primary role remains at the heart of the Premier League's meanest defence alongside William Saliba. The duo have developed a telepathic understanding that has underpinned Arsenal's title challenge, with the Brazilian describing their relationship as much more than just a professional collaboration on the pitch. “He’s my brother,” Gabriel said of his French partner. “Since he arrived here and we started to play together, we have grown up a lot. I think we understand each other and we have been doing really well and every season we try to improve. So of course I’m very happy to play with him."