SOCCER: Arteta praises return of goalscoring Gabriels

LONDON – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised the impactful returns from injury of Brazilian duo Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Jesus, as both players found the back of the net in his team’s 4-1 statement victory against title rivals Aston Villa on Tuesday.

The win at the Emirates extended Arsenal’s lead over Manchester City to five points and ended Villa’s 11-match winning streak, which had included a last-minute home victory against Arteta’s side a few weeks ago.

Centre-back Gabriel returned from injury in Arsenal’s narrow win against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, and his defensive strength and threat at the other end were a major boost for the Gunners.

The Brazilian’s physical presence proved too much for Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who fumbled Bukayo Saka’s inswinging corner, allowing Gabriel to score his 17th league goal from a set-piece.

“He comes back from an injury in six weeks that probably should have been a bit longer. He plays against the team that is probably the hardest to control… and he impacts the game in an incredible way, both defensively and in the opposition box,” Arteta told reporters.

Jesus, returning this month after nearly a year out with a cruciate knee ligament injury, also made an immediate impact. The forward curled in a superb fourth goal from the edge of the box in his first involvement after coming on as a substitute.

“He comes in after such a long time without scoring a goal, and he scores a wonderful one,” Arteta said.

Injuries continue to pose challenges for Arsenal, with midfield engine Declan Rice ruled out of Tuesday’s match with a knee problem.

Rice had played in every Premier League game this season, and Arsenal appeared more vulnerable without him during a first half in which Villa missed several excellent opportunities.

“The swelling in his knee has to go down for him to have the chance to function,” Arteta said. “He’s improving, but let’s see what happens in the next couple of days.”

Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters