Gabriel Paulista could be set for a spell in Arsenal's starting line-up after usual first-team choice and captain Per Mertesacker was given his marching orders in the 1-0 loss to Chelsea on Sunday evening.
The Brazilian centre-half was acquired from Spanish side Villarreal in January 2015 but has endured a rather mixed start to life at the Emirates. The defender has struggled to cement a place in the starting line-up after a handful of poor performances but will now be looking to take his chance in what is a competitive Gunners' squad.
So, can the 25-year-old finally establish himself in North London?
Now is time to put past demons behind him
2015/16 has certainly been a mixed season for Gabriel. A small run in the side at the start of the campaign saw some positive displays but a series of controversial decisions and mistakes have seen him confined to the bench in recent months.
The South American defender was controversially sent off against Chelsea in the early stages of the Premier League campaign after an altercation with the aforementioned Costa, while he was also at fault for Lewis Grabban's equaliser for Norwich City against the Gunners in late November - the match ended 1-1.
A poor performance in the away tie against Bayern Munich also highlighted Gabriel's inexperience and defensive flaws that have left Arsene Wenger unconvinced. After a year in North London it seems that now is the time for the Brazilian to banish away the memory of these poor showings and start delivering performances which prove his worth within the current setup.
Mertesacker's place being called into question
As well as being the most logical time for Gabriel to begin to show his qualities, this time also seems to have coincided with Mertesacker's place in the side being called into question once again.
The German himself has been exposed to criticism in recent months, with his lack of pace being the central theme on the critics' agenda. His red card against the Blues on Sunday added further scepticism about his role within the team, with Gabriel's potential partnership with Laurent Koscielny seen as as a more susatinable duo for the current Arsenal side.
The added tenacity, pace and high pressing interceptions seem tailor made for the current Arsenal system and it is these traits which could provide a lot of benefits for the Gunners if they are executed with quality.
Can he take his chance in next few games?
On Saturday, we will most likely see the Gabriel/Koscielny partnership starting in the FA Cup tie against Burnley. It will be interesting to see how the duo cope with one of the Championship's hottest strikers, Andre Gray.
Of course, only time will tell as to whether the Brazilian can prove his worth in the Arsenal side. However, one thing is abundantly clear, this is is Gabriel's ideal time to prove he is worthy of a place in Arsene Wenger's starting eleven.