Game of Numbers #30 – Defending the world’s best striker – Gabriel Magalhães

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We all know just how good Erling Haaland is at football. He only needs one chance, and more often than not, he’ll score. But what makes him such a powerhouse is the combination of traits (pace, power, strength, hold-up, playmaking, etc.) that intertwine to make him the most frightening striker in the world. In order to defend against the world’s best in Erling Haaland, you have to fully believe and embody the role of someone who can go toe-to-toe with the City man. Perhaps most importantly, you have to throw Haaland off his game, without stepping over a certain line of aggression. It might have gone under the radar as Arsenal claimed their first win over the Citizens in the Arteta era, but that is exactly what Gabriel accomplished on Sunday. Here is Game of Numbers #30.

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GABRIEL Magalhães VS. MANCHESTER CITY

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Since William Saliba‘s come into the fold under Arteta, Gabriel‘s gone under the radar. We expected the Brazilian to have that Saliba effect when he first joined the club. When he didn’t, it became easy to underestimate his talent and focus on the more exciting, younger prospect. But there’s a genuine argument that Gabriel’s been the best centre-back in the Premier League so far this season. He showed just as much in taming Erling Haaland in Arsenal’s historic 1-0 win over their title rivals. This article serves as both education for all young centre-backs learning their trade, and Haaland’s future defensive opponents.

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Where Gabriel thrived throughout the game was in reading BOTS (ball, opposition, teammates and space). He utilized constant scanning of the field and short fixations on opposition & teammates (then back to the ball) to continuously organize his defensive line and know when to leap into action. This allowed the 25-year-old to constantly assess the right moment to step out of his line and intercept the ball.

He did so to great effect when stepping on Haaland and Álvarez as they jumped toward the ball, each time using his physical strength to cause fear and panic into the minds of the City attacker. It can be so easy for an attacker to roll a defender like Gabriel in moments like this. In fact, Gabriel Jesus did exactly that when he got the defender sent off in a previous meeting between the two sides a few seasons back.

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But on this occasion, Gabriel Magalhães always gave himself the advantage by arriving early and then getting his feet and body set in a low-stance. This allowed him to quickly shift right or left if required, and the ability to recentre attention back toward the player about to receive the ball.

In moments where the ball hung in the air (such as Ederson‘s long lumps forward), Gabriel again masterfully assessed when to arrive and win the situation. There’s much less risk when stepping out of line in moments like this, with the ball hanging in the air and plenty of time for others to adjust position. But still, if Gabriel doesn’t commandingly win headers like this, it can cause a disconnection that allows City to escape. So again, he has to be spot on with his timing, and completely commanding once he goes in for the ball.

Time and time again, he won those aerial battles against Álvarez and Haaland, adopting no fear about the Norwegian’s strength. The phenomenal reading of the game also allowed Gabriel to assess when to sweep in behind, and how to position himself when defending the penalty area.

Take this example with Kyle Walker on the ball. Walker wants to engage his striker and play his powerful centre-forward in behind the defensive line. Gabriel gets inside of Kyle Walker’s head, reads that, and anticipates the pass.

Then by the time he’s shuffled across, he’s already prepared to get his body in the way, shield the ball from Haaland (always difficult), and usher it away from danger. This is something the Brazilian consistently got right after winning possession. He’d shield the ball away from the player he just stole the ball from, win the battle, and then either break forward or win his team a foul.

Here’s another great example of his scanning, where he checks over his shoulder and sees Erling Haaland bursting down his neck.

By the time the ball reaches the penalty area, Gabriel knows where Haaland is in relation to his teammate (Zinchenko), and can readjust his own positioning to stop the shot instead.

A similar moment occurred in the first half where the Brazilian got into a great position, assessed for BOTS, and correctly recognized that he could spend longer fixating on the timing of the pass, since Saliba had Haaland’s positioning covered.

This one turned out to be an acrobatic clearance, showcasing his high athleticism.

Now the key is also in recognizing the right moment to hold the line and stay compact. When defending in their own third (low-block), Gabriel and Saliba organized the back-line to be narrow across the eighteen. The two wings – eventually Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, would cover the wide areas instead of the fullbacks, as Rice anchored the midfield and screened City’s strikers.

This is where Gabriel’s vocal leadership again comes into great effect for Arsenal, especially in a team without Granit Xhaka or Aaron Ramsdale – who is exceptionally vocal at the back.

In the end, Arsenal walked away with a 1-0 win for the first time over City in the Arteta era. Gabriel Martinelli might get all the plaudits for scoring the winning goal. But the role of a different Gabriel cannot be understated.

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THE MAGIC TOUCH OF SERHOU GUIRASSY

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After excelling in Ligue 1 with Rennes, Serhou Guirassy made a splashy move to replace Saša Kalajdžić at VFB Stuttgart. But few would have expected him to have such a meteoric rise to the top of the European scoring charts. Guirassy bagged 11 goals in his 22 appearances last campaign to help Stuttgart stay in the league, and has now already bettered that tally with 13 goals in the first 7 Bundesliga matches. It’s time we start looking at the Guinean forward as one of the most dangerous players in the world.

Guirassy excels with his pace and power, combining all the traits you’d want of a ‘Target’ with his presence, magnificent leap, and hold-up play. Stuttgart tend to be a direct team that prefer to play on the break and through longer passes than the average team. This makes Guirassy the perfect player to have up front, as he’s excellent at knocking passes onto others in space.

He’s adept at holding up the play inside the penalty area and providing the assist, primarily as he garners all the attention himself.

But what’s been so magnificent about Guirassy this season has been his stellar form in front of goal. The 27-year-old always seems to know what type of finish to use in what moment. In 1v1 moments with the keeper, he’s particularly clever, knowing exactly when to chip his opponent or round them with a silky dribble.

That silkiness on the dribble comes in handy when beating defenders too, where the Stuttgart striker makes himself the master of disguise. He can often be seen faking shots and staying composed when it matters most, waiting for the exact right moment to find the back of the net.

But he’s also excellent at striking from range, either through wrapping his foot around the ball and curling one into the corner, or opting for power with a top bins finish.

In his most recent match against VFL Wolfsburg, Serhou Guirassy wonderfully showcased his quality, scoring a hat-trick and exuding class at every turn. He floated between the Wolfsburg centre-backs to frightening effect, perfectly positioning himself in between defenders to constantly receive in between the gaps.

He did so even when his team were the ones without the ball, ensuring that he could be an instant outlet in a dangerous space as soon as Stuttgart recovered possession.

To combine the cleverness of movement and on-the-ball decision making with a genuine power that resembles the likes of Erling Haaland and Victor Osimhen, Guirassy has the makings to be one of the best on the planet. Now that he’s scoring at an obscene rate with that insane leap and his poise in front of goal, we’re fully seeing the 27-year-old’s potential. This won’t be a one season wonder. Serhou Guirassy’s definitely here to stay, and he’ll be right up there in the Bundesliga’s Golden Boot race.

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So there it is! Game of Numbers #30 – so far featuring Gabriel’s great defending of Erling Haaland. Be sure to check back for part two of this article, and follow on social media @desmondrhys to never miss an update. Thanks for reading and see you soon!

-> Game of Numbers #29 – Scoring goals is easy! – Ollie Watkins & Lautaro Martinez

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