Gabriel: Me and Diego Costa have put spat behind us

Diego Costa (r): Could face a three-match ban for his clash with Gabriel (l)

Diego Costa: Chelsea striker clashes with Arsenal defender Gabriel

Arsenal defender Gabriel insists that he and Diego Costa are “good friends” despite their clash at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season.

Gabriel and Costa clashed during Arsenal’s defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in September, with the Brazilian sent off for kicking out at the Blues striker on the stroke of half-time.

Costa had goaded Gabriel into reacting after pushing his Gunners team-mate Laurent Koscielny to the ground, but Gabriel insists that he and Costa get along well.

“When we are on the pitch we are different people,” Gabriel told the Daily Mail. “Diego is a different person and so am I. When we clash there are sparks!”

“We have turned that page. I was in the Brazil squad with Filipe Luis and those two are good friends. I sent him a voice message as a friend. We are good friends. It’s something that happens on the pitch and it is passed. Diego is a good person.

“I wouldn’t say we are similar just because we came from a poor background,” added Gabriel, who grew up in Sao Paulo, while Costa grew up in nearby Lagarto. “Really, Sao Paulo is a lot worse than Lagarto.”