Polish back Jakub Kiwior took Gabriel's place alongside William Saliba. Arsenal go to Everton at the weekend before Tuesday's Champions League quarterfinal first leg at home to Real Madrid. The Gunners will return to the Premier League to host Brentford before the second leg at the Bernabeu on April 16.

Defense wins Champions League as often as Real Madrid vibes. With Gabriel and William Saliba as their anchor points, Arsenal have a rearguard that is as well-placed as any to at least slow the march of Mbappe and Vinicius.

A 2-1 victory over Fulham, sealed by Bukayo Saka’s second-half goal seven minutes after making his long-awaited return from injury, cut the Merseysiders’ lead at the top of the table to nine points, with Mikel Arteta’s side having played one game more.