Exclusive: Gilberto Silva on Arsenal’s Premier League chances, Rice’s ‘monster’ mentality and ending social media abuse | OneFootball

Gilberto Silva played 244 times for Arsenal between 2002-2008 and was part of Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles side that won the 2003/04 Premier League.

The Brazilian joined Arsenal from Atletico Mineiro in August 2002 having won the World Cup that summer. He made an instant impact, scoring the winner on his debut as Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 to lift the 2002 Charity Shield.

Gilberto also got Arsenal’s fastest-ever Champions League goal, scoring after only 20.07 seconds in a 4-0 win at PSV in September 2002. And Gilberto won the 2003 FA Cup as Robert Pires’ goal handed Arsenal a 1-0 victory over Southampton at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Gilberto Silva joined Arsenal as a World Cup winner

Mikel Arteta is now hoping to replicate those glory years and guide Arsenal to their first title in 20 years.

“It won’t be easy,” admitted Gilberto, who scored four times as Arsenal went unbeaten in the Premier League in 2003/04. “But I do think Arsenal can win the Premier League.

“Last year they came so close. I was very sad for them. I know what it’s like to come close to success then lose. I had it in the 2006 Champions League Final [which Arsenal lost 2-1 to Barcelona in Paris].

“Arsenal has a very good team right now, and there is a hunger to win. When I speak to Edu that’s always clear. So now they need a big effort because it’s not going to be easy to finish above Liverpool and Manchester City.”

Arsenal currently lead the Premier League on goal difference having scored an astonishing 33 times in 2024. And after the international break, they face a potentially season-defining fixture away at third-placed Manchester City on March 31.

“These types of games are the ones football players relish,” said Gilberto. “You need to raise your game and focus. Most players like this. Arsenal has a great opportunity in front of them.”

Gilberto knows what it takes to win the Premier League with Arsenal

Key to Arsenal’s success this season has been £105m record signing Declan Rice, who joined from West Ham last summer. The England midfielder has played in every Premier League game so far and scored six times – a career high for a single season.

Rice has improved his progressive passing over the past few seasons, whilst Arteta always felt he had stronger offensive output in him compared to his West Ham numbers.

Gilberto had his own offensive spurt in 2006/07, scoring 10 Premier League goals and finishing as Arsenal’s second-highest league scorer, level with Thierry Henry and only one behind Robin van Persie.

But the now 47-year-old, who joined Arsenal for just £4.5m, doesn’t feel the modern defensive midfielder necessarily requires goals.

“I hear a lot of pundits say the position has changed, but I’m not so sure,” said Gilberto. “For me, the principles remain the same. I still view Declan as a holding midfielder who protects the back four and gives support to the guys up front. It’s the same job I was asked to do.

“What is really important in the position is the passing. It doesn’t matter how many balls you win back if you then just lose possession. So you need a vision: to know how you’re going to win the ball then what you are going to do with it.

“Declan does this really well. He never runs back or forward without a plan. And physically he’s a monster, and the scary part is he’s still raising his level. I think he’s been amazing for Arsenal. It just feels like he has known the club and its players for a very long time. He’s adapted so fast since joining from West Ham.

“I also believe he can play with either Thomas Partey or Jorginho. I know they play more or less in the same role, but because Rice is adaptable their abilities are complimentary.”

Declan Rice is having a superb first season at Arsenal

Although Arsenal are prioritising a striker this summer, they are still on the lookout for another midfielder as well, and could renew their interest in either Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz or Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.

Gilberto would love to see his fellow Brazilian Luiz at the Emirates Stadium, but fears Aston Villa could price him out of the market. A £70m fee has been suggested in the past, but it’s possible Villa demand a number closer to the £105m Rice was signed for if they are to entertain a sale.

“I think he’ll be expensive because he’s in good form,” said Gilberto. “I am just happy to see another Brazilian doing a great job in the Premier League. Any top club would want him right now, so why not Arsenal? I think it would be a great move for the club and for him as well.”

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Luiz has made the Brazil squad for this month’s friendlies with England and Spain. And the game against England at Wembley will be the first for new Brazil head coach Dorival Júnior.

The 61-year-old is entering into the 26th managerial job of his career and will lead Brazil at the Copa America in the USA this summer.

It’s been a tough period of transition for Brazil, who lost to Croatia on penalties in quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar; whilst their Under-23 Olympic squad failed to qualify for Paris this summer despite having won gold at both the 2020 (played in 2021) and 2016 Games.

“I am a little bit concerned, to be honest,” conceded Gilberto, who won 89 caps and started the 2002 World Cup Final as Brazil beat Germany 2-0 thanks to two Ronaldo Nazário goals.

“After the World Cup in Qatar, it took the federation a while to make a decision on who would replace Tite. According to the media, Carlo Ancelotti was going to be appointed, but it never happened.

“A football nation like Brazil – much like England or Germany – can’t go so long without knowing who the manager is. Ramon Menezes and then Fernando Diniz came in as interim managers and I don’t think that was the right decision.

“And now we have lost time as we try to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Diniz tried his best but it’s difficult as an interim. He made a good effort.

“It seems the federation realised they couldn’t get Ancelotti then went for Diniz, and now Dorival Junior has got the job permanently. He’s had just over a month so far and his first game against England is a tough test. I think he’s a winner and I hope he takes Brazil to the stage we expect.

“As for the players, I expect them to stand up and raise their level to that which Brazilian players have worked so hard over the years to build. They need to take on this responsibility and we are all behind them.”

Gilberto is a little bit concerned about Brazil

Gilberto has seen first-hand the kind of criticism that comes with an under-performing Brazil side. And far too many times fan discontent can turn to abuse.

It’s one reason why Gilberto decided to join forces with former international teammate Roberto Carlos, and tech entrepreneur Tim Chase, to promote Striver – billed as the world’s first abuse-free social media platform.

Chase founded Striver in 2022 and the platform has seen rapid funding and growth since because it offers a safe space to interact online.

“Our mission is to help the football community. We want everyone to engage without fear of abuse,” explained Gilberto. “So often we have seen players, referees or fans being abused. It’s become so common, which is ridiculous.

“We moderate content before it gets uploaded using Artificial Intelligence. And once we remove the abuse, people can really start to engage and have a good conversation.”

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Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr is just one of sadly many examples of players suffering repeated racial abuse online. This led to the Brazil national team swapping its bright yellow shirts for black ones during a friendly against Guinea last year in order to take a stand.

Gilberto believes players are reluctant to engage knowing they may be personally targeted by often faceless online trolls.

“The point of Striver is to give players a platform where they can talk to fans without worry,” he said. “A lot of players on other social platforms ‘post and ghost’. They just ‘run away’ because they are concerned about the comments. That means real fans miss out due to a minority who choose to consistently abuse. So instead, we remove abuse before it’s posted, taking away the voice of those who make things toxic.

“Striker is also very unique because fans get really creative on the platform. For example, in January I did a 30-day fitness challenge to help people kickstart the year in a healthy manner. And Roberto Carlos recreated his famous free-kick against France. Some fans even tried to replicate it, and it blew their mind when Roberto responded with a video message!

“And sometimes I just go on there and ask a question about Arsenal. It’s great to see all the responses. And you look forward to them when you know they will all be abuse-free.”

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior has received a lot of abuse this season

Gilberto has made the transition from football to business seamlessly and is working harder than ever to tackle (and hopefully one day end) online abuse.

“It’s arguably a bigger challenge than in my playing days,” he said. “The work never stops, but I had planned to go into business long before I retired. Whilst I was still playing I started thinking about what I wanted to do after football.

“But it’s not about me. It’s about people realising sports stars are human. We want to make social media, and the world, a better place… and of course hopefully talk about Arsenal winning the Premier League again in the process!”