The Gunners continued their unbeaten run which began after the defeat to Liverpool on the opening day of the season with a 4-1 thrashing of Hull City which sees them sitting in the top four of the Premier League for the first time this term.
Gabriel, who suffered an ankle injury just before the start of the new season, has been sidelined for almost two months now.
However, the Brazilian could make his return to action in the midweek clash with Nottingham Forest according to Arsene Wenger.
“Gabriel is back in training, he might play on Tuesday.” the Arsenal manager said at his press conference.
Wenger insists his squad is finally rediscovering its standard level of fitness after Saturday’s win at the KC stadium.
“We were not ready physically at the start of the season, we are now much better so let’s hope we can continue our improvement,” he added
Meanwhile, Wenger is convinced Arsenal have removed any doubt they are good enough to challenge for the title and claimed his players have overcome a huge mental block in their quest to return to the top of the Premier League.
This thrashing of Hull was quite impressive. Arsenal were slick, their movement hypnotising, their passing crisp and incisive, but we have seen it before. A time traveller could have dropped into virtually any year since the Gunners last won the title in 2004 and seen Wenger’s side deliver performances like this.
Every year, though, Arsenal have failed to seize the champion’s crown. They have always been capable of playing like champions, but they have not brought the title back to the Emirates Stadium.
They have always had the ability to crush inferior opposition and make it look like a training session.
The problem is – and this is where the doubts remain – Manchester City, who are five points ahead of the Gunners and Liverpool are also playing with the verve of title contenders. Tottenham Hotspur look dangerous again, while Manchester United, Chelsea and –perhaps more excitingly – Everton are all stronger than they were last term.
Arsenal must do far more than beat a weak Hull team, reduced to ten men before half-time. Bigger tests of their mental strength remain, but that should not detract from the quality of their performance on Humberside.