Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista has insisted that he will always stand up for his teammates on the pitch.

The Brazilian was involved in a heated scuffle with Chelsea striker Diego Costa earlier this season, for which he received a red card.

The 25-year-old claims that he was standing up for his teammate Laurent Koscielny against Costa's bullying tactics and insists he would do the same again if the opportunity arose.

"That's how I am," Gabriel said in an interview with the Daily Mail.

"I will always stand up for the ones I love.

"We have affection for our team mates because we spend most of our time with them. Sometimes we spend more time with our team-mates than our families. This is my instinct I always stand up for my teammates.

"For me, the red card was a surprise but I learned from that experience. I won't change.

"That's how I react in these situations but I learned and I will defend my teammates but in another way — not doing what I did."