Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes allegedly became involved in a heated confrontation after a ‘horror tackle’ at a six-a-side match he attended in south London on Tuesday (December 9).
The Brazilian, who joined Arsenal from Lille in 2020, is currently out of action, having picked up an abductor injury while featuring for Brazil in a friendly against Senegal back in November, and is expected to be sidelined until at least early January.
And while he recovers from his injury, Gabriel clearly has more time on his hands away from the demanding fixture schedule, so much so that he attended a six-a-side friendly clash in Peckham on Tuesday.
As reported by The Sun, the centre-back was invited to a friendly match arranged by supporters of the Brazilian team Botafogo.
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However, the match ended early when one player left another lying on the ground in agony after a horror tackle.
A video shows Gabriel shouting at an opposition player in Portuguese after the incident before running across the astroturf to confront the perpetrator.
One onlooker reportedly told The Sun: “It was really unexpected. He didn’t look injured when he sprinted across the pitch to get involved.
“I don’t know if he knew them personally, but he seemed to just see red and fly off the handle.
“Nobody quite knew what to say, but it was really intense.
“It shows how passionate he is about football that he would get this competitive over a six-a-side match between two amateur teams playing for fun in the evenings.
“He had a bit of a shout – it wasn’t physical – and then that probably got it out of his system.
“Then everything calmed down.”
Gabriel will no doubt be keeping an eye on Arsenal’s Premier League match against Wolves on Saturday (December 13) with the Gunners able to go five points clear of second-place Manchester City, who play Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday (December 14).
Following Saturday night’s game at the Emirates, the Gunners begin a run of five matches - against Everton, Brighton, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth in the league with a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Palace on December 23 – in just 14 days.
The congested festive period will likely prove crucial in Mikel Arteta’s side’s pursuit of a first Premier League title since 2003/04.
Topics: Gabriel Magalhaes, Arsenal, Football, Injury, Premier League
Luke Davies