Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice were seen arguing on the pitch following the stalemate between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night.
Cameras at the City Ground captured the two players locked in a heated discussion, as the result put Liverpool 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League table following their 2-0 win over Newcastle United. Arsenal have a game in hand over their rivals and could close the gap to ten points with just as many games left to play.
It was the second successive game in which Arsenal dropped points following the 1-0 home defeat to West Ham last weekend. As they are looking to fall short of the title for a third season in a row, tensions flared on the pitch.
Rice was spotted gesturing and shouting towards Gabriel as they were walking off the field. When asked about the incident, Mikel Arteta told reporters: “They’re probably demanding [more from] each other.
“I really don’t know the topic that they discussed. I don’t know, I haven’t seen it. I walked to the referees and our supporters, and didn’t see anything.”
Rice has spoken highly of the Brazilian centre-back on numerous occasions since completing the move to the Emirates Stadium in the summer of 2023. “The one who’s really surprised me is actually Gabriel,” Rice said last year. “He’s so aggressive, so strong, really wants it all the time, never loses a duel.”
Last May, he then said: “Do you know what, obviously there was a lot of talk about Saliba before I came here. There was always talk about Saliba, no one ever really spoke about Gabriel. Honestly, that guy, without him as well we’d be in a bit of trouble.”
Gabriel has formed a formidable partnership with William Saliba and has become a key figure for the Arsenal team over the years.
