EPL: He dominates box – Arteta reveals player to feature in many games for Arsenal this season

Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta has revealed that defender Gabriel Magalhaes is going to play many games for the Gunners this season.

According to Arteta, Magalhaes dominated the box during Arsenal’s Premier League 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Monday.

Arteta said this while explaining his decision to bench the Brazilian again. He also responded to exit rumours.

Magalhaes, who was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, came off the bench at Selhurst Park following Tomiyasu’s dismissal and gave an excellent defensive performance, helping the 10-man Arsenal keep Crystal Palace’s attack at bay and cling on to claim all three points.

Asked if potential interest in Magalhaes from Saudi Arabia has influenced his non-selection, Arteta said at his post-match interview: “No, nothing at all.

“It is about the games we were expecting, that I was expecting, and how I wanted to defend and attack and what I believed was the best thing.

“He’s played in both games, he helped us to win both games for different reasons.

“He was really good today, he absolutely dominated the box when he came on and he is going to play a lot of games. But that’s the decision sometimes.”