Alarming stat shows how Arsenal could have difficult run ahead, starting with Spurs

Arsenal look like they have a difficult run ahead of them now that key centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes is out injured.

The Brazil international picked up a thigh problem whilst playing for his country in a recent friendly against Senegal at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, which could mean he now faces a lengthy absence out of the team.

This could hardly have come at a worse time for Arsenal as they prepare for a very challenging run of fixtures coming up in quick succession.

Meanwhile, stats show just how much Arsenal might miss Gabriel, and most fans who’ve watched this team closely won’t be too surprised.

Arsenal with and without Gabriel – could they struggle against Spurs, Bayern and Chelsea?

Arsenal’s next three games are Tottenham at home, Bayern Munich at home, and Chelsea away, all in the space of just seven days.

The fixture list will come up with tough schedules like this from time to time, and it’s very bad luck for Arsenal to be without Gabriel now, in what could prove such a crucial period of the season.

In general, we know the games come thick and fast around this time of year, so coming though it with a decent run of results could end up being hugely significant in the Premier League title race, and the Champions League league phase.

See below for the data from Opta which shows Arsenal’s recent record with Gabriel and without him, with the difference being pretty clear…

Admittedly, there aren’t that many games to go from when Arsenal haven’t had Gabriel involved, but it gives you some idea of how quickly his absence could be noticed.

Do Arsenal have the depth to cope without Gabriel?

One difference from the past, however, is that now Arsenal will surely feel they have better cover for Gabriel than they did previously.

Last season the only real option Mikel Arteta had was to bring in Jakub Kiwior alongside William Saliba, and the Poland international fared reasonably well in some games, but was a noticeable step down.

Kiwior has since left the Emirates to join Porto, while Arteta brought in both Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie during the summer.

Both remain relatively untested in the Premier League so far, but Mosquera has looked particularly impressive when called upon so far, while Hincapie has real pedigree from his time as a key player at Bayer Leverkusen.

Even without those two, Arsenal have other very decent options who can fill in at centre-back if required, with Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, and Jurrien Timber all capable of playing there.

Gabriel would be hard for any club to replace, especially for a lengthy period, but Arsenal have decent grounds for optimism after preparing for this kind of scenario with such strong work in the summer transfer market.

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