In an interview with Goal Brasil, Gunners defender Gabriel says that he has buried the hatchet with Chelsea striker Diego Costa. The two clashed when the sides met in September, Gabriel was red carded in the fracas. However, upon reviewing the footage, the F.A. rescinded Gabriel’s red card and gave Diego Costa a three match ban.
As the teams prepare to meet again on Sunday, Gabriel insists there is no bad feeling between the two, “We were defending our teammates and our objectives. There are situations that arise in the heat of the match. This is an issue that has already been overcome. “
Gabriel also touched on acclimatising to life in England one year after having joined Arsenal from Villarreal. The São Paulo born defender said, “I tried to face this new challenge that was coming at me very hard, because it was a dream that I had to play in the Premier League.
“At Villarreal, I had in my favour Latin culture and that eased my adaptation there. Since moving to England, the transformation has intense and somewhat abrupt. Customs, culture and language are aspects that are demanding a lot from me, but I’m taking it all in.
Gabriel is currently behind Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny in the pecking order, but Gabriel insists that he is ready to fight for his place, “First of all, they (Mertesacker and Koscielny) are professionals of the highest quality and this means competition for a place in the team is at a very high level.
“These guys play for two of the biggest teams in world football, Germany and France. I try to engage in training and seek the best possible use of the opportunities that I have been granted on the pitch,” the 26 year old concluded.
