Arsenal’s center-back position is one that could need to be addressed. When Emmanuel Petit recently claimed that Arsenal defenders William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes were playing averagely, some didn’t take him seriously.
Now, days after Petit’s claims, another Arsenal legend, Alan Smith, has come out to expose the concerns he has about Arsenal’s defense. Smith has called out Gabriel as a loophole in Arsenal’s defense, and he feels he fails Arteta in big games.
“Gabriel would be a concern for Arteta in the future,” said Smith on BestGamblingsites (via MSN)
“He can be so emotional on these occasions, and that can affect his game. If you look at Saliba, you hardly notice him because he’s so calm.
“He does the simple things really effectively. Whereas Gabriel catches the eye for a number of reasons and I think it’s something Arteta will consider if he can rely on him going into these big games.
“That’s an issue for Arsenal, I think.”
After these claims, one can imagine that Jakub Kiwior could be the solution going forward, but Smith thinks it’s too early to trust Kiwior with Arsenal’s defense. “To incorporate Kiwior on the bench at the moment would be a big call, as he has been getting used to the first-team environment.
“Unfortunately, I don’t believe Rob Holding is the solution; I don’t believe he is at the required level.”
Interestingly, Smith believes Arsenal could do with another center-back signing, claiming, “We’ve been speaking for a long time about bringing in a striker and a central midfielder. But I think perhaps center-back is another area to focus on.”
Does any of Smith’s claims make sense, and do you see Arsenal adding another center-back to their squad months after getting Kiwior?
Daniel O