William Saliba waited three years for his Arsenal debut — and, on the evidence of Friday night’s win at Crystal Palace, he looks keen to make up for lost time.
There has been a buzz around the centre-back since he joined in 2019 for about £28million.
Saliba was loaned back to Saint-Etienne for that season, and a series of further spells away from north London followed until he was finally integrated into the first team this summer.
Now 21, the Frenchman looks like the real deal and Gabriel, his centre-back partner for Friday’s 2-0 win at Crystal Palace, is certainly impressed.
“For me, he’s the best! He’s very young, very promising and a very good player,” he told Standard Sport. “I am so happy to play with him, together. Tonight he started in the Premier League and he was so good.
“The team did very well. They showed intensity and everyone stayed together. It’s very difficult to play here, but our keeper was strong.”
The hype around Saliba will continue to grow and Arsenal must carefully manage it. Tougher tests lie ahead and, like any young player, Saliba’s development is likely to involve peaks and troughs.
“You don’t really see that,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta when assessing Saliba’s debut.
“At 21 years old in the Premier League, against these physical players and resolve the situation the way he’s done it, with that composure, that calmness and that presence. Big credit to the boy.
“I wanted to let him be and let him play, that’s the way we have tried to develop that player.
“To sign him at 18 years old and bring him back two years later is something unusual and he has been so determined and willing to come here and now proved the point that he is ready.
“Now we are exposing the player in a really difficult environment where he can navigate and enjoy it and be comfortable.”
Arsenal’s new signings were at the heart of this win at Selhurst Park, with Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko impressing, too.
Zinchenko assisted Arsenal’s opener for Gabriel Martinelli, while Jesus led the line with pace and power, something the Gunners lacked last season.
“He was electric, really mobile, really determined and really wanted to hurt the opponent and he transmitted that,” Arteta said of Jesus.
“He creates uncertainty and spaces, and created movement for his teammates and it’s great to have him.”
