Arsenal vs Valencia

Arsenal vs Valencia : The Brazilian, now of Valencia, is relishing showing the Gunners what they are missing in the Europa League semi-finals

Gabriel Paulista believes he was not given enough chances to impress at Arsenal but is far happier with life at Valencia.

The centre-back joined from Villarreal in 2015 but failed to impress consistently under Arsene Wenger, making 37 starts in the Premier League in two and a half seasons at Emirates Stadium.

Gabriel returned to La Liga with Valencia in August 2017 to reunite with former Villarreal boss Marcelino, and he has become a key component of the defence at Mestalla.

The 28-year-old joined the north London club in January 2015 from Villarreal in a £13.5million deal after the club’s US-based data analysis company, StatDNA, highlighted the Brazilian as a player of huge potential. Gabriel struggled to oust the likes of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, however, and moved to Valencia in the summer of 2017 after a serious knee injury cost him a chance of appearing in the FA Cup final win over Chelsea. Arsenal used the money generated from his sale to purchase Shkodran Mustafi and Gabriel believes he was unfairly treated during his time in north London ahead of his return with Valencia in Thursday’s Europa League semi-final first leg.

Arsenal host Valencia in their Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday night, as Unai Emery comes up against the club that he managed to three consecutive third-place La Liga finishes.

In the quarter-finals, Arsenal dispatched Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli with an impressive 3-0 win over two legs, while Valencia comprehensively beat fellow La Liga side Villarreal 5-1 on aggregate.

Since their second leg victory over Napoli, however, Arsenal have suffered their worst run of form under Emery, losing their last three games 3-2, 3-1 and 3-0 to Crystal Palace, Wolves and Leicester.

“I’m a hard working guy,” he says. “I always wanted to work, to fight and demonstrate what I could do. I changed my mind [about the decision to leave] one day to the other. When you’re at a club like Arsenal, all the history, the city, the stadium, leaving is very hard. But I did the best I could do.”

Paulista spoke to his family and then to Valencia’s coach Marcelino, who he’d already formed a close bond with at Villareal, and eventually one morning he woke up and followed his heart. That the two years since have passed by so much quicker than those in London is a testament to his choice.