Last weekend Jamie Carrgher went as far as to suggest that Arsenal defender Gabriel could win the PFA Player of the Year award.

Only three defenders have done that before; John Terry, Virgil van Dijk and Paul McGrath. It’s an illustrious list and one that the Brazilian could well join.

This season he has been one of the best players in the Premier League and perhaps the best defender in Europe’s top five leagues.

While he is a warrior of a defender, it’s his record in the final third that has stuck out the most. He’s a menace from set-plays and proved as much again on Saturday when the Gunners defeated Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor.

How Arsenal beat Burnley

Gabriel may not have scored in Lancashire this weekend but it was still a mighty performance from the Brazilian who played a vital role in Mikel Arteta’s side opening the scoring.

How did the goal come about? From a set-piece, of course. Declan Rice’s inswinging delivery found Gabriel at the back post who nudged the ball across the face of the goal.

Viktor Gyokeres was ready and waiting to head the ball home from close range. It was his first league strike since early September when he scored against Nottingham Forest and his first away goal in Arsenal colours.

While the Swede was forced to sit out the second half with an injury, he enjoyed a fabulous game with Gunners reporter Charles Watts noting that it was his “best 45 minutes in an Arsenal shirt by a distance.”

Gabriel and Gyokeres were not the only ones to put in a superb performance. The aforementioned Rice was also exceptional, playing a hand in the first goal and then scoring the second, ghosting into the area to power a header into the back of the net.

Rice was simply everywhere, amassing more touches (94) than any player on the field and registered the second-highest volume of passes behind William Saliba.

A £105m signing back in 2023, he has proven to be worth every penny, as has a certain Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal's bargain signing continues to fly under the radar

Back in 2020, Arsenal signed a certain Gabriel for just £27m. What a bargain that has turned out to be. The same can be said for another £27m acquisition in the form of Trossard.

The Belgian wasn’t at the top of the club’s shortlist but their hands were rather forced when they missed out on winger Mykhailo Mudryk. Arsenal were reportedly in the race to sign the Ukrainian but he eventually moved to Chelsea instead.

The result? The Gunners looked towards Trossard who had fallen out with the top brass at Brighton.

Since heading to the Emirates Stadium, he has become a scapegoat at times. When he starts, he struggles to have much of an impact but as a substitute, he is a true game-changer.

In the 2023/24 campaign, the forward netted six goals as a substitute in all competitions. No other player in Europe’s top five leagues scored more from the bench that term. That season he bagged 17 goals with only Bukayo Saka scoring more for the club.

2024/25 was a quieter one for the Belgium international, scoring only ten times, but this season he has looked somewhere near his best and his performance against Burnley proved exactly why he’s so underrated.

Heading into 2025/26, Trossard could quite easily have been moved aside. With Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze having signed, the former Brighton attacker looks expendable. Well, amid injuries to the likes of Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, the Belgian has become an important member of Arteta’s side once again.

He has found the net on three occasions and registered a further three assists, the latest of which came on Saturday.

Minutes played

89

Touches

56

Accurate passes

21/31 (68%)

Big chances created

1

Key passes

2

Accurate crosses

1/3

Shots (on target)

2 (2)

Duels won

3/9

Fouled

2x

Played in behind by Gyokeres, Trossard raced onto a ball on the left, bided his time and then played an inch-perfect cross into the path of Rice.

It was a typical Trossard assist, truth be told. Perfectly crafted and weighted, it oozed class. He certainly isn’t the flashiest of players but he is always available, he’s reliable and fits Arteta’s system like a glove.

For £27m, what more do you want? On his 100th appearance for the club, he gave us a reminder of what an amazing piece of business he has proven to be.