Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards heaped praise on two Arsenal stars following the 2-2 Premier League draw against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The Gunners registered a hard-fought point against the Cityzens on the road. It was a tremendous effort, considering they were one man down at the interval.
Arsenal had to play 55 minutes with 10 men on the field. They managed to contain City for large parts of the second half until John Stones’ 98th minute equaliser.
The players will be hugely disappointed by the last-gasp goal from City, but looking at the overall performance, it should be one to remember for a while.
Speaking after the game, Richards said that Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba were unbelievable and added that they did a ‘remarkable’ job after the interval.
He told Sky Sports (via BBC Sport): “Gabriel and Saliba were unbelievable.
“To defend like that for 45 minutes in the second half against the best team in the league is remarkable.
“When Gabriel came to Arsenal he was making a few mistakes, but he has changed his game to be reliable.”
Gabriel has turned into a fantastic match-winner for Arsenal. He scored a towering header in the league victory over Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month.
The Brazilian replicated the feat against the reigning champions yesterday. It was almost enough for Arsenal to pick up a stunning result from the Etihad.
Meanwhile, Saliba was equally impressive on the defensive front alongside Gabriel. The centre-back duo won 100 per cent of their tackles (4/4) against City.
They won a combined nine duels in the game with 13 clearances and four blocks.
Arsenal may have picked up a solitary point, but it could be a crucial one as the Gunners look to end their two-decade-long wait for the top-flight crown.
Stats from Fotmob.com
