Jamie Carragher has labelled Arsenal centre-back Gabriel as the 'most influential player' in the Premier League, claiming the Brazilian is on course to win the PFA Player of the Year award if the Gunners secure the title. The Liverpool legend praised Gabriel's defensive solidity, leadership, and attacking threat from set-pieces, calling him a 'colossus' at the back.
Arsenal continued their impressive start to the season with a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday, courtesy of Eberechi Eze's acrobatic first-half winner against his former club. The win extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points, as title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City both suffered defeats over the weekend.
Mikel Arteta's side are unbeaten in their last 10 games across all competitions, with their only loss this season coming at Anfield in August. They have also maintained a perfect record in the Champions League after three matches and advanced to the Carabao Cup last 16.
Despite significant investment in attacking players such as Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke, Arsenal's success has been built on a miserly defence that has conceded only three goals in 13 league matches. Gabriel, alongside William Saliba, has been instrumental in that record, with the Brazilian recovering from a knock to play the full 90 minutes against Palace.
Carragher believes Gabriel has now surpassed Saliba as Arsenal's defensive leader, stating: 'I think he's the real leader in this team. He's a colossus at the back. He talks, he keeps Saliba in check. He's the best defender in the team that's got the best defensive numbers and the best attacker in terms of set-pieces.'
The former Liverpool defender added that only three defenders have won the PFA Player of the Year in the Premier League era, with Virgil van Dijk the last to do so in 2018/19. Carragher concluded: 'If Arsenal go on and win the league, he's the number one contender.'
