Arsene Wenger reserved special praise for Gabriel Paulista after the defender’s promising display in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton on Sunday
The Brazilian was handed the first Premier League start of his Arsenal career as Wenger opted to drop Per Mertesacker following the criticism of the German in the aftermath of Wednesday’s Champions League loss to Monaco.
The 24-year-old looked largely comfortable alongside Laurent Koscielny in the heart of the Arsenal defence against the Toffees as goals from Olivier Giroud and substitute Tomas Rosicky wrapped up victory for Wenger’s men.
And Wenger was pleased by what he saw from the defender, who joined Arsenal from Villarreal in the January transfer window.
Speaking at his post-match news conference, Wenger said: “He had an encouraging performance overall.
“He was surprised by the intensity of the challenges once or twice but he made a great tackle against Romelu Lukaku in the first half.
“He’s highly focused, has a good concentration level and is quick.”
Sunday’s win lifted Arsenal back into third place in the table and just four points behind second-placed defending champions Manchester City.
The Gunners’ next game is a trip to Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League on Wednesday night.
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