Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes was quick to applaud the collective effort after the Gunners battled past Chelsea with a hard-fought 2-1 victory to tighten their grip at the top of the Premier League table.
Fresh from last weekend’s emphatic north London derby win over Tottenham, Arsenal kept their momentum rolling against another capital rival, stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches and preserving a five-point cushion in the title race as the season enters its decisive phase.
The contest demanded resilience as much as quality, with Chelsea pushing until the final whistle. Gabriel, however, delivered a commanding man-of-the-match display at the heart of defence to help Arsenal see the job through.
“It was a big battle today, so I’m very happy to take the three points,” Gabriel said. “Everyone on the pitch was unbelievable. We know which [type of game] game we were going to play, so I’m especially very happy about the effort we put in there.
“After Wolves, we talked to each other, and we knew we needed to be better. I think last week was amazing for us and it gave a lot of energy to us to come into this game.
“We are very happy for the three points, but now we need to keep going. We know what’s coming, so we need to be ready.”
Gabriel also played a key role at the other end, keeping the pressure alive with a towering header at the far post that teed up defensive partner William Saliba for his first goal of the campaign.
The Brazilian was equally quick to highlight the influence of goalkeeper David Raya, whose late heroics proved vital in protecting the lead as Chelsea searched for an equaliser.
“I’m very happy to give [Saliba] an assist. He hadn’t scored this year yet, and today he scored, so I’m very happy for him.
“[Raya] is a top goalkeeper, that’s why he’s here. We are very happy for him. I think it was in the last minute that he made a big save. We are very happy, we are here to put in our effort.
“We are very proud, especially the way everyone worked. I think we need to enjoy this time, but we know what is coming and we need to be ready again.”
Attention now quickly turns to Arsenal’s next test away at Brighton, where Mikel Arteta’s side will look to keep their title charge firmly on track.
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