Freddie Ljungberg has criticized Gabriel Magalhães for his celebration after scoring in Arsenal’s 5-1 victory over Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League on November 26. Gabriel’s celebration, which seemed to mock Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres, involved putting both hands over his eyes in a gesture similar to Gyökeres’ typical celebration, where he places his hands over his mouth. Ljungberg, while acknowledging the competitive context, deemed the celebration “disrespectful,” stating that it was unnecessary and that the gesture should be left to Gyökeres, as it is his trademark.
After the game, Viktor Gyökeres responded lightheartedly, saying he wasn’t aware of the mockery but found it “fun” that Gabriel liked his celebration. He also joked that Gabriel was welcome to “steal it” if he couldn’t come up with his own celebration.
In the match, Gonçalo Inácio pulled one back for Sporting early in the second half, but Arsenal completed the rout with goals from Bukayo Saka (65′ penalty) and Leandro Trossard (82′). Kai Havertz praised the Arsenal defense, particularly Gabriel and William Saliba, for keeping Gyökeres quiet during the match. Gyökeres has been in sensational form this season, scoring 24 goals in 20 games for Sporting, and his performances have sparked rumors of interest from clubs, including Arsenal.
