It was quite the afternoon for Gabriel Magalhaes.

On his 200th Premier League appearance, the Brazilian helped Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 at the Emirates and move level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table.

He cleared off the line in the first half, shook off a worrying injury scare early in the second, and then headed in Arsenal’s second goal, his first since January. Mikel Arteta was so impressed that he called him “one of the best centre-backs in the world” afterwards. But there was something different about this goal.

Gabriel scores his first open-play Premier League goal for Arsenal

Arsenal doubled their lead in the 68th minute, moments after Arteta made a triple change. One of those substitutes, Bruno Guimaraes, found Ben White on the overlap, who crossed it to the back post for Gabriel to attack it and head home.

According to Opta Analyst, it was Gabriel’s 21st Premier League goal for Arsenal, but the first that didn’t come from a set-piece.

That says a lot about how dangerous he has been at corners and free-kicks over the years. Gabriel has been crucial to Arsenal’s set-piece threat under Arteta, and that threat helped the club score 25 set-piece goals on their way to the title last season.

On the day he finally scored from open play, it was his partner who ended Arsenal’s set-piece drought. Ezri Konsa’s seventh-minute opener was the club’s first goal from a set-piece this season, and it meant two Arsenal centre-backs had scored in the same game for the first time in 986 days.

Gabriel has now played in all 13 of Arsenal’s competitive games this season. After the scare against Everton, Tuesday’s trip to Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup could be a good chance to rest him before the visit to Liverpool next Sunday.