Jamie Carragher names Arsenal 'colossus' as 'most influential player' in Premier League

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·27 October 2025

Jamie Carragher names Arsenal 'colossus' as 'most influential player' in Premier League

Liverpool legend believes Gunners star should win major individual award if Mikel Arteta’s side go on and seal the title

Arsenal currently boast the “most influential player” in the Premier League who will be the front runner to win PFA Player of the Year if they claim the title this season, according to Jamie Carragher.

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The Gunners continued their flying start to the campaign on Sunday with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against London rivals Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in which summer signing Eberechi Eze scored an acrobatic first-half winner against his former club.

It was a seventh straight win across all competitions that increased Arsenal’s early lead at the Premier League summit to four points over surprise package Bournemouth, on a weekend when reeling champions Liverpool suffered their fourth successive top-flight defeat at Brentford and Manchester City’s nine-match unbeaten run was ended by Aston Villa.

Mikel Arteta’s side are unbeaten in their last 10 games, with their only defeat so far this term coming at Anfield in August. Their 100 per cent start in the Champions League remains intact after three matches and they are also through to the Carabao Cup last 16, where they play Brighton on Wednesday.

Despite a significant summer transfer spend primarily focused on attacking recruits such as Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke, Arsenal’s success and new-found position as strong favourites to claim a first title in 21 years has been built on a miserly defence that is on pace to break numerous records.

The Gunners have conceded only three goals in 13 matches so far this season, with City’s Erling Haaland still the only player to score against them from open play.

Key to that remarkable rearguard effort has been the partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel, the latter of whom recovered from a knock sustained in last week’s Champions League demolition of Atletico Madrid to start and play 90 minutes against Palace, heading back Declan Rice’s free-kick to the back post for Eze to inventively hammer home and also hitting the woodwork himself.

Colossus: Gabriel is arguably the most important piece of Arsenal’s miserly defence

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Carragher believes that the influential Brazilian’s impact defensively, as a leader and in terms of his attacking prowess at set-pieces makes him the most important player to his team anywhere in the Premier League, rising above Saliba at Arsenal.

“I think he’s now the real leader in this team,” Liverpool legend Carragher said of Gabriel on Sky Sports. “I think Saliba’s a fantastic player, I always felt Gabriel was maybe the junior partner if you like. I think that’s changed for me now.

“I think he’s a colossus at the back. He’s the leader for that team, he talks, he keeps Saliba in check at times in games. We’ve seen him defensively, but going forward at the other end, we’ve seen him for the goal, we’ve seen him hit the crossbar as well.

“This happens every game. He’s the best defender in the team that’s got the best defensive numbers and he’s the best attacker in terms of set-pieces going forward at the other end.

“That’s why for me, right now, I think Gabriel is the most influential player in the Premier League. I think if Arsenal are to go on and win the Premier League, and I know it’s early, he could be on course to go and win the PFA Player of the Year, or the player of the year from the football writers.

“Because right now, there is nobody more influential for Arsenal Football Club.”

Only three defenders have previously won PFA Player of the Year in the Premier League era, with Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk the last to do it in 2018/19.

Chelsea legend John Terry did it in 2004/05, while Paul McGrath also won the award with Aston Villa back in 1992/93.

“I think if Arsenal go on and win the league, he’s the number one contender,” Carragher continued. “I look at those other three players, all great players and leaders for their clubs like Gabriel is.

“Actually, John Terry is the only one to win the Premier League in the year he won PFA Player of the Year. When you actually look at John Terry and Virgil van Dijk’s role, look at the goals.

“They are not just big leaders at the back, but the numbers of goals. His [Gabriel’s] record is actually far better than theirs when you look at those numbers.”