Gabriel Magalhaes took the chance to poke fun at Richarlison after Arsenal claimed north London bragging rights with a comprehensive 4-1 defeat of Tottenham.
A shock midweek setback at Wolves ratcheted up the pressure on the Premier League leaders entering Sunday’s contest, with just two points separating Mikel Arteta’s men from Manchester City.
However the Gunners put their bitter rivals to the sword on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to tighten their grip on top spot, despite Spurs going into the break level after Randal Kolo Muani had cancelled out Eberechi Eze’s opener in a compelling first half.
Two goals from Viktor Gyokeres – either side of Eze’s second on the hour-mark – ensured the visitors got here away with a memorable victory, a result that restored their advantage on the summit to 5 points.
Arteta’s side will look to choose up where they left off once they return to Premier League motion against fourth-placed Chelsea on the Emirates in every week’s time.
Gabriel produced one other strong performance at the guts of Arsenal’s defence alongside William Saliba, with Spurs limited to a complete of only six shots across the whole thing of the match.
Richarlison was unable to make a meaningful difference after coming on instead of Randal Kolo Muani with 22 minutes of normal time remaining in north London – and Gabriel made sure to rub salt within the wound soon after.
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The Brazil defender took to Instagram and decided to tag his fellow countryman in a photograph which showed him holding up a number 4 playing card for the camera on Arsenal’s team coach.
After just an hour, the social media post had racked up over 180,000 likes and 5,000 comments.
The little jab from Gabriel comes after Richarlison tagged the centre-back in the same post following Tottenham’s pre-season victory over Arsenal last summer.
Arsenal back in control of the title race
An enormous win for Arsenal puts them five points clear at the highest of the Premier League table they usually remain favourites to win the title, despite recent wobbles.
Spurs usually are not the hardest team within the league to play against, however the Gunners were threatening and potent again after looking blunt of late.
They need to have been well ahead on the break and it was only an odd Declan Rice error which meant the sport was level. Mikel Arteta’s men remained calm and kept coming, getting their rewards.
The pressure has been constructing, but Arsenal have eased it with the result and performance, each of which were excellent.
The link-up between Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka was really impressive at Spurs and if Arteta can get those two firing regularly then few defences will have the opportunity to handle them.
It’s curious that Eze has scored five of his six Premier League goals this season against Spurs and has probably not sparkled much outside of the derbies, but clearly he has lots more to supply on this title race.
There are twists and turns to come back before anyone lifts the Premier League trophy, however the gloom hanging over Arsenal since Wolves has been lifted.
It is going to be one other high intensity affair next outing as Arsenal host Chelsea.
The photo in query showed Richarlison posing with the man-of-the-match award and the Herbalgy Trophy that Spurs had won at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park.
This isn’t the one time Gabriel has responded to Richarlison’s pre-season jibe, though, with the large centre-half also taking aim at his compatriot after Arsenal’s win within the reverse fixture on the Emirates in November.
Though ‘proud’ of Arsenal’s dream derby-day performance, Arteta was keen to remind his players that there was still a ‘great distance’ to go within the Premier League, with ten games remaining of the season.
‘I’m really completely satisfied, really proud about how we approached the sport,’ the Spaniard said in his post-match interview with BBC Sport.
‘The initiative and the standard we showed to come back here and win the sport in the way in which that we did.
‘That’s the fantastic thing about football. While you look back at the sport against Wolves, how did we draw that game from there? I used to be out with them each day and I understand how much they need it.
‘That is the Premier League, it can go all the way in which needless to say. Ten games within the Premier League is a great distance.’
Arteta went on to single out Eze for special praise, applauding the midfielder’s efforts in ‘adapting’ to a brand new variety of play at Arsenal.
‘He had that belief and I’m really completely satisfied with him,’ he said of the previous Palace man.
‘He’s really attempting to mold and adapt into what we wish from him.’
Will Arsenal go on and win the Premier League title?
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