flag
back Back
Arsenal star Gabriel sparks Alan Shearer and Micah Richards argument - 'A load of s***'

Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes stirred controversy by ironically performing Viktor Gyokeres' own celebration after scoring against Sporting CP, sparking a debate between Alan Shearer and Micah Richards

Gabriel copied Viktor Gyokeres' goal celebration in Arsenal's win over Sporting Lisbon
Gabriel copied Viktor Gyokeres' goal celebration in Arsenal's 5-1 win over Sporting Lisbon

Micah Richards took issue with Gabriel Magalhaes trolling Viktor Gyokeres by copying his celebration - but Alan Shearer was a fan of the Arsenal defender's taunt.

Arsenal romped to a 5-1 victory over Sporting CP on Tuesday night, showing their Champions League credentials by handing the Portuguese giants their first home defeat in 18 months. In-form defender Gabriel scored the Gunners' third goal in monstrous fashion, towering above the Sporting players to head the ball in from a corner on the stroke of half time.

The Brazilian centre-half then unveiled his own stunning twist on Sporting striker Gyokeres' trademark celebration, running towards the corner flag and putting his hands across his eyes while locking his fingers. It appeared to be a jibe at Gyokeres, having kept the fearsome Swede quiet alongside his defensive partner, William Saliba, for the entire evening.

The celebration went viral on social media, especially given that Gyokeres has recently been linked with an Arsenal transfer. But pundit Richards, speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, saw the act as unsavoury and unnecessary.

Richards, a self-confessed Arsenal fan, said: "Gabriel has been excellent. I don't quite agree with his Gyokeres celebration. We don't need to go there, mocking Gyokeres. He did the celebration when he scored the goal. I'm just like, you don’t need to do that. Be the bigger person."

Newcastle legend Shearer interjected with: "Oh, what a load of s***. Let him do it if he wants to," to which Richards jokingly responded: "You're like Wrighty [Arsenal hero Ian Wright], Wrighty's got into your head too much, telling you, 'F off Al, let him do what he wants.'"

Alan Shearer and Micah Richards
Alan Shearer and Micah Richards disagreed over the celebration

The former Manchester City defender added more seriously: "Alan, I'm all for fun, you know me. But these moments here always come back to bite you. I love his confidence. I love the fact that he can bring it.

"But why's a defender even thinking about doing a Gyokeres celebration? I know he's good at set-pieces, but come on! Gabriel, I love you, but you shouldn't be doing that."

Podcast host Gary Lineker then gave his own thoughts, saying: "I'd actually be quite flattered if I was Gyokeres that he actually knew about me and my celebration. I don't have a particular problem with that."

Viktor Gyökeres of Sporting CP celebrates his goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Manchester City at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 5, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres was ineffective against Arsenal

Gyokeres, who has also been heavily linked to Manchester United, commented on Gabriel using his celebration after the match. The goal-scoring phenom took a subtle dig at his opponent, telling ViaPlay: "He's welcome to steal it if he can't create his own celebration! I didn't know he did that, but it's fun he likes my celebration."

Gabriel could have been getting his own back after Sporting midfielder Pedro Goncalves mocked former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka's celebration back in 2023. The Portuguese side knocked the north Londoners out on penalties in the Europa League round of 16 in March of that year, and Goncalves mimicked Xhaka by putting his thumb on his nose and extending his hand out.

Get the new Arsenal shirt for 2024/2025

The new shirt has returned the Gunners to their roots placing a stripped-down, elegant-looking canon right over the heart of the new shirt. Shirt manufacturers Adidas have produced a "clean and minimal" and the design "embraces modernity, while honouring Arsenal’s rich heritage.

The defeat is widely considered to have derailed Mikel Arteta's side's season, with injuries to Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu in that game later leading to their collapse in the Premier League title race. There was no such issue on Tuesday, however, with Arsenal now seventh in the Champions League league phase with three games to play.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

You may like

Arsenal: Mikel Arteta explains reasons behind Raheem Sterling's lack of minutes so far

standard.co.uk 14 minutes ago

Wayne Rooney's former Premier League teammate 'sorry' as he's jailed for 20 years

dailystar.co.uk 5 hours ago

Bukayo Saka can be Arsenal's answer to Mohamed Salah! Liverpool's Egyptian King is the benchmark

goal.com 6 hours ago

AS Monaco Used Clever Tactic to Stop Arsenal Scoring From Corners

givemesport.com a day ago

Arsenal Want to Sign ‘Ridiculous’ Star in January Amid Shock U-Turn

givemesport.com 5 hours ago

West Ham academy player, 15, dies after cancer battle as club left devastated

express.co.uk 37 minutes ago

Gabriel returns, Myles Lewis-Skelly decision made, Arsenal line ups vs Everton

football.london 4 hours ago

Victor Osimhen ‘desperate to join one Premier League club’ but teammate could beat him to mega mo

talksport.com 3 hours ago

Mikel Arteta drops clear Arsenal January transfer window hint amid Viktor Gyokeres link

football.london 5 hours ago

William Saliba names four teams he wants to see in Champions League knockouts

metro.co.uk a day ago