Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have built their season on defensive solidity.
Heading into their clash with Arsenal, the Magpies boasted the lowest expected goals conceded (xGA) in the league at 2.5, highlighting just how compact and resilient they had been.
That statistic shifted after Arsenal generated 2.04 xG at St James’ Park, pushing Newcastle down to second-best in the league.
Even so, Howe’s side have only conceded five goals all season while keeping four clean sheets, with only Liverpool and Arsenal managing to find the net against them.
Against the Gunners, Newcastle were disciplined and well-drilled, often forcing Mikel Arteta’s side into less threatening areas.
Yet all that hard work was undone in the 96th minute, when Gabriel Magalhães rose highest to score the winner.
How Gabriel helped to down Newcastle
It was a bitter pill to swallow given how well Newcastle had restricted Arsenal, but Gabriel’s decisive intervention underlined the fine margins at this level.
The Brazilian’s influence was evident beyond his goal. He disrupted Nick Woltemade and marshalled the defensive line with authority.
His performance earned him a man-of-the-match rating of 8.6 – a reminder of just how important he is to Arsenal’s title push.
Even if there was that one blemish with Woltemade, it’s safe to say he’s become a force in the Premier League in recent years.
Gabriel’s journey at Arsenal since arriving from Lille in 2020 has been one of steady progression.
Now 27 years old and valued at around £70m by Transfermarkt, he has cemented his reputation as one of the Premier League’s most commanding centre-backs.
His partnership with William Saliba has been the bedrock of Arsenal’s recent success.
Together they have anchored a backline that has kept 29 clean sheets over the last two seasons, while goalkeeper David Raya has claimed consecutive Golden Glove awards.
Beyond his defensive qualities, Gabriel provides a consistent goal threat.
His headed winner against Newcastle was his 21st goal for Arsenal, a remarkable tally for a central defender.
FFC’s stat of the day: In the last three seasons, Gabriel has scored eight goals in the Premier League. No centre back has managed more.
That ability to contribute at both ends makes him invaluable to Mikel Arteta’s side. Statistically, he remains a well-rounded force.
Matches Played
6
Minutes
540
Goals
1
Tackles
8
Blocks
12
He completes just over 56 passes per match with a 90.2% accuracy rate, while also contributing 4.79 progressive passes per 90 minutes.
Defensively, he averages 0.95 tackles, 0.46 challenges, and 1.6 blocks per 90, illustrating his balance of proactive interventions and last-ditch defending.
His dominance in the air, as demonstrated against Newcastle, adds yet another dimension to his game.
Having also earned 15 caps for Brazil, Gabriel is now a figure of experience and consistency on the international stage.
If Arsenal are to go one better than last season, his blend of physicality, set-piece threat, and defensive nous will be central to their challenge.
But, do the Toon have their own answer to the big Brazilian?
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Newcastle's answer to Gabriel
While Gabriel left St James’ Park with the headlines, Malick Thiaw walked away with plenty of admirers after what has been described as an “outstanding” performance.
The 24-year-old German, a £30m signing from AC Milan, is only a handful of games into his Newcastle career but already looks like a player with huge potential.
Thiaw’s numbers against Arsenal painted the picture of a defender unfazed by one of the toughest attacking units in Europe.
He won four of his six aerial duels, cleared his lines eight times, and registered one interception.
Crucially, he was not dribbled past once, underlining his ability to stand his ground in one-v-one situations.
On the ball, he attempted 23 passes, completing 20, showing the composure that made him such an attractive signing.
He sits in the 95th percentile for pass completion among centre-backs in Europe (93.1%), completing almost 59 passes per match.
He averages 4.43 progressive passes per 90, nearly identical to Gabriel’s 4.79, and also attempts more progressive carries, at 0.60 per 90 compared to Gabriel’s 0.38.
Defensively, Thiaw’s 1.19 tackles per 90 outstrip Gabriel’s 0.95, while he also makes 0.70 blocks per 90.
These numbers highlight subtle differences in style. Gabriel excels in last-ditch defending and aerial duels, while Thiaw appears more proactive in stepping out to intercept and more comfortable driving play forward.
Both are commanding presences, titans at the back, but Thiaw’s on-ball security may give Newcastle an edge in building from the back once Eddie Howe’s attacking system clicks.
The prospect of the summer arrival forming a long-term partnership with Sven Botman is tantalising.
Botman’s anticipation and positional discipline, combined with Thiaw’s composure, could provide Newcastle with a defensive pairing to rival Arsenal’s Gabriel-Saliba axis.
Against Arsenal, Thiaw didn’t just look like a stopgap in Fabian Schär’s absence – he looked like a centre-half ready to shape Newcastle’s future.
His performance against the Gunners suggested he has the physicality, intelligence, and technical quality to become one of the Premier League’s standout defenders.
If Newcastle’s rise continues, Thiaw could be at the heart of it.
