How much will Brazil’s snub benefit Arsenal?



The Gabriels

How much will Brazil’s snub benefit Arsenal? 

By Tom Masters

Arsenal’s sensational start to the Premier League has seen them win five of their opening six matches to sit top of the pile and there are three players who have been extremely important in that run. 


The three Gabriels, Gabiel Magalhães, Gabriel Martinelli and new signing Gabriel Jesus, have all been essential mainstays of Mikel Arteta’s side that have started the season in such dominant form. 


All three have scored important goals in that run and the Brazilian trio seemed destined to be a key part of their national squad as a result. 


But incredibly, despite their early season form, none of the three have made the Brazil squad for the upcoming international break, a key window ahead of the FIFA World Cup starting in November. 


With those three vital cogs in Arteta’s current winning machine all snubbed by Brazil, how much is that likely to benefit Arsenal? 


Fitness 


One big worry all managers have when their side is performing well is a sudden injury crisis and one of the most common times for that to occur is during the international break. 


Players already fatigued from their club schedule then travelling around the world to play as many as three international matches in a week is simply a recipe for disaster and it often spells exactly that, with players often going straight from the international break to the physio room.


Arteta is already without Thomas Partey for at least a month with injury, while Oleksandr Zinchenko has had time out with a niggle of his own and the majority of the Spaniard's starting XI will go off to all corners of the globe to represent their nation in ten days' time. 


But for Arteta to be guaranteed that one of his central defenders and two-thirds of his favoured attack will be staying in North London; that is a huge boost and no doubt a big weight off his shoulders. 


Same system

 

Another thing that causes great frustration for managers is when players leave for an international break in form and fitting in well in their system, only for them to go off and play in a totally different system for their country and lose all the previous momentum. 


An obvious example of this would be the difference in system that Arsenal and England play, with Gareth Southgate almost always deploying his trusted 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 systems and Arteta vehemently sticking to his 4-2-3-1 formation. 


It can be difficult for players to dip in and out of different systems throughout the year when roles can be so different and you are of course looking to impress both managers equally. 


In the case of Arteta’s trio of Brazilian Gabriels, that is not going to be an issue with all three staying behind and looking to maintain their form under Arteta. 


Motivation 


Despite a manager dreading a player going off on an international break and getting injured – they do want their players going on and representing their country. 


Brazil choosing to snub the trio will have hurt both the players and Arteta personally, and now they will all be hungry to prove the Seleção wrong. 


In this instance it has nothing to do with the performances of any of the players; Brazil are simply blessed with incredible talent all over the field with the likes of Eder Militao, Vinicius Jr and Roberto Firmino selected ahead of Arsenal’s Gabriels. 


With the performances of the players not the issue, and time running out ahead of the World Cup, they will be even more motivated to be on top form and earn selection to the Brazil squad, which can only be a good thing for Arteta and this Arsenal side. 


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