Viktor Gyökeres reacts to Gabriel after the Arsenal defender mimics his signature celebration

Sporting CP forward Viktor Gyökeres has responded to Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães mimicking his signature celebration during their Champions League clash.

Gyökeres, 26, has been in incredible form this season, netting 24 goals in 20 games. However, he couldn’t find the back of the net on Tuesday, as Arsenal convincingly defeated Sporting 5-1 in Lisbon.

The Swedish striker was understandably frustrated by the result, but Gabriel added a touch of controversy by copying his trademark celebration. After scoring Arsenal’s third goal in first-half stoppage time—heading in Declan Rice’s corner—the Brazilian celebrated by interlocking his hands in front of his face, just as Gyökeres typically does.

When asked about it by ViaPlay, Gyökeres offered a light-hearted response:
“Gabriel’s celebration? He’s welcome to borrow it if he can’t come up with one himself! I didn’t know he did that, but it’s funny he enjoys my celebration.”

According to the Metro, Gabriel’s act might have been a playful nod to when Sporting’s Pedro Gonçalves mimicked Granit Xhaka’s celebration during Sporting’s Europa League victory over Arsenal in March 2023.

Meanwhile, Gyökeres continues to draw interest from Europe’s elite clubs. Scouts from Manchester United, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, and Barcelona were reportedly present during Tuesday’s match to monitor the in-form forward.

The win elevated Arsenal to seventh in the Champions League’s new 36-team format, but there was some concern over Gabriel’s fitness. Speaking after the game, Mikel Arteta revealed the defender had felt some discomfort:
“We don’t know yet. He mentioned some discomfort, and I was preparing to bring on Ras [Raheem Sterling], but we had to make other changes instead.”

Despite the injury worry, Arteta was thrilled with his team’s performance, saying:
“I was so pleased with what I saw. I knew good things would come in Europe if we followed this path. Tonight, we were efficient and clinical in the opposition half.”