"An entirely different breed", "Proved to be untouchable" - Fans in awe of Arsenal star's 'monster performance' in 5-1 win over Sporting

Arsenal fans have taken to social media to praise centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes for his impressive performance in their 5-1 win over Sporting CP. The Gunners traveled to Portugal for their Champions League clash at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday, November 26, where they secured all three points.

An early goal from Gabriel Martinelli (7') began what would be a comprehensive win before Kai Havertz added the second in the 22nd minute. Gabriel Magalhaes scored a perfect header from a corner to make it three on the cusp of half-time (45+1').

In the second half, Goncalo Inacio scored (47') to give Sporting some hope, but it ended up being mere consolation. Bukayo Saka scored from the penalty spot in the 65th minute, and Leandro Trossard put the ball into an open net late on (82').

It was a remarkable performance all-round, but fans singled out Gabriel Magalhaes for praise. Here are some of their comments from X:

"Gabriel is an entirely different breed, Tf he just did to Gyokeres?" a fan wrote.

"Omo, Gabriel has proved to be untouchable too," another fan added.

"Gabriel a Monster performance," another wrote.

"Got locked down by gabriel which is understandable," a fan wrote about Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres.

"Can’t tell you how much I love Gabriel, what a bloke," another fan wrote.

"GABRIEL MOTM PERFORMANCE AND SUBBED TO A STANDING OVATION," a fan added.

The stats from Arsenal's comprehensive win against Sporting CP

The hosts edged the possession stats (52%), but the Gunners certainly used the ball to much greater effect.

In their first Champions League game after former manager Ruben Amorim left for Manchester United, Sporting managed 19 shots at goal and eight on target, but couldn't create a single big chance. They ended the game with an xG of 0.96.

Arsenal, on the other hand, had fewer shots (13) but were more clinical (nine on target). They created five big chances and scored all five, ending the game with an xG of 3.89.

Sporting's slight control of the possession was in keeping with their passing (446 passes, 90% accuracy). This was slightly more than Arsenal's 402 passes with 88% accuracy.

Disclaimer: The above stats were taken from FotMob on November 27 2024 at 04:00 AM IST. They are subject to change as per the platform's prerogative.

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