Sky Sports pundit Michael Dawson insists he would still pick Virgil van Dijk over William Saliba despite the latter's stellar impact this year.
The Arsenal centre-half has established himself in the starting XI for the first time since he was signed from Saint Etienne in 2019. Originally it looked as if he wasn't fancied by Mikel Arteta, but he has returned to the fold this term after several loans and looks to be set for big things.
He's helped solidify Arsenal's defence ahead of the visit of Liverpool and Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman has been the benchmark for centre-halves for several years having had an incredible impact at Anfield since signing in 2018. His form has dipped in recent months however.
The meeting of the pair on Sunday has led to inevitable comparisons, but Dawson is adamant that Saliba must perform for a long period before he can be compared to Van Dijk. He said on Sky Sports : “I think Virgil is the best around, he’s magnificent but what Saliba has done this year… he’s got to do it consistently for a lot of years to get to van Dijk’s level. I’ll take Virgil van Dijk all the time, massive fan – Saliba has got a lot of work to do to get to there”.
Arteta, who has been full of praise for his centre-half, was also quizzed on comparisons between the pair but refused to get drawn on those. He said: “That’s a big call. We’re very happy with where he is at the moment. He’s Saliba: he’s no one else, and he needs to make his own career”.
Saliba's efforts have helped the Gunners highlight themselves as outsiders for the title having originally been eyeing a place in the top four. That said, the youngster is yet to taste any great success in his career thus far. Van Dijk meanwhile has claimed a host of honours at Anfield.
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Within 18 months of joining the Dutchman had won the Champions League whilst he has since tasted Premier League success. Jamie Carragher has commented on Saliba's quality but insists, whilst the early signs are positive, the Frenchman must maintain this level before comparisons can be made.
"Saliba is a modern centre-back in the Van Dijk mould. He is fast enough to deal with the quickest strikers, aerially strong to cope with target men, and comfortable in possession to ensure his side can play from the back," he wrote in his Daily Telegraph column.
"Yes, these are early days and Saliba has a long way to go to match Van Dijk’s long-term influence at Liverpool, but he has had an immediate impact on how structurally sound a previously flaky defence looks. There is an echo of Van Dijk’s early months at Anfield."
