Gabriel dos Santos approaches the list of top 10 highest-scoring defenders

Brazilian Gabriel dos Santos, Arsenal defender, continued to enhance his status as one of the most dangerous scoring defenders in the history of the English Premier League. The player raised his tally to 20 goals since joining the team in the 2020-2021 season.

Gabriel is considered the highest scorer among defenders during this period, surpassing prominent names such as Virgil van Dijk, John Stones, and Kurt Zouma. His clear distinction is due to his effectiveness in set pieces, which have become an important attacking weapon for the Gunners' ranks.

Rise in the ranking of scoring defenders

With his latest goal, Gabriel rose to fourteenth place on the list of the highest-scoring defenders in Premier League history. He is now level with a number of players, led by Sol Campbell, who is only two goals ahead of him.

The Brazilian defender needs three additional goals to enter the top ten list, an achievement that seems within his reach if he continues at his current scoring rate.

John Terry tops the historical list

Legend John Terry still sits atop the throne of scoring defenders in the English Premier League with 41 goals. He is followed by Ian Marshall with 33 goals, then Virgil van Dijk with 29 goals.

The list also includes prominent names such as Gary Cahill (28 goals) and William Gallas (25 goals), while Vincent Kompany appears on the list with 18 goals.

Gabriel's chances of making history

Despite the difficulty of catching up with John Terry's record, Gabriel's scoring rate (a goal every 816 minutes) gives him a relative advantage compared to the Chelsea legend during his career.

If he continues in the English league for years to come, the Brazilian defender could turn into one of the most prominent scorers in his position, and perhaps threaten the runner-up position historically, even if the top spot remains a distant dream.

According to Planet Football network, John Terry tops the list of the most scoring defenders in the history of the English Premier League, and the ranking came as follows:

• John Terry – 41 goals

• Ian Marshall – 33 goals

• Virgil van Dijk – 29 goals

• Gary Cahill – 28 goals

• William Gallas – 25 goals

• Joleon Lescott – 24 goals