Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Laurie Martin

Mikel Arteta reveals why William Saliba Brentford masterclass actually came as a huge surprise

William Saliba put in another classy display for Arsenal in their 3-0 win at Brentford. The 21-year-old gave the Gunners the lead after meeting a Bukayo Saka corner, before goals from Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira increased Arsenal's advantage.

The Frenchman is still very much in the infancy of his Premier League career, with this just his seventh appearance in England's top flight, but he has been performing like an experienced pro. The defender once again caught the eye defensively in an Arsenal backline which, aside from the 3-1 defeat at Manchester United, have conceded just four goals in six league matches.

READ MORE: Thomas Frank makes huge Arsenal claim after Brentford defeat amid William Saliba prediction

He has shown himself to be one of the Premier League's most impressive defensive performers so far this term, while he has also demonstrated an element of ruthlessness at the other end - scoring two goals this season from just three shots.

Saliba earned plenty of praise from Mikel Arteta post-match, with the Arsenal boss revealing why his performance was even more impressive than it first looked to the Gunners fans watching.

"He was superb," said Arteta. "He hasn’t trained for 10 days because he had some discomfort, but he comes in and competes like that.

"Not only the goal and his defending but he does the ugly part of the game that people won’t recognise. He deserves credit."

READ NEXT:

Arsenal's January signing could replace Oleksandr Zinchenko against Brentford amid line-up hint

Oleksandr Zinchenko and William Saliba not spotted in Arsenal training - but there's a catch

Why Brentford vs Arsenal goes ahead but Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United games are postponed

Arsenal line-ups vs Brentford as Partey starts, big Tomiyasu decision, Gabriel Jesus returns

Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.