Gabriel says Arsenal will hit ‘new heights’ following three agonising seasons as runners-up

GABRIEL says Arsenal will hit “new heights” this season following another agonising year as the Premier League’s nearly men.

The Gunners have posted THREE consecutive second-placed finishes in the league under boss Mikel Arteta – finishing ten points off Arne Slot’s champions Liverpool last term.

And after a heartbreaking Champions League semi-final defeat to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain, it is now FIVE years without a trophy for the North Londoners.

But Brazilian centre back Gabriel, 27 – who signed a new four-year deal last month – is confident they can finally shake off the tag of top-flight bridesmaids.

He said: “I only have one thing to say, and Mikel says it: We are ready to reach new heights this season.

“I’ve been at the club for five years now and I’ve seen how much the club has grown. I am here to win big titles and I do believe that this season will be different.

“We have let a couple of titles slip through our fingers recently. We almost won but this year, things will be different. I have a lot of faith in that.”

Arteta was left to rue key injuries that hampered Arsenal’s title charge last campaign with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Ben White, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus suffering long-term lay-offs at crucial times.

Gabriel was also ruled out for the remainder of the season in April, requiring hamstring surgery – with attackers Saka and Havertz undergoing the same procedure.

He is back and raring to go with the club now out in Singapore for their pre-season tour, facing AC Milan on Wednesday and Newcastle on the weekend, before travelling to Hong Kong to take on fierce rivals Tottenham.

Gabriel added: “I don’t think we can give excuses; we did everything we could in the last three years.

“I feel like we had a little bit of bad luck sometimes.

“But we all believe that we can win big titles. The pre-season has started.

“We’re focused on what our manager is telling us to do, and what we have to do, and what we have to improve.

“This year will be different.”