William Saliba was sensational in his Premier League game for Arsenal against Crystal Palace in the opening match of the Premier League. His performance also earned him the man of the match award.
The Frenchman has bought a sense of calmness and assertiveness to Mikel Arteta’s defence which was evidently lacking last season. More interestingly, he has also added speed to the backline, which is also crucial to playing a high-line.
After his excellent displays recently, Saliba continues to dominate the Arsenal statistics and plaudits. He is also beginning to show that he has the best qualities compared to other defenders in England’s top division.
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Over the weekend, Saliba recorded the fifth fastest speed compared to any other player in the Premier League. Darwin Nunez toped the list, with former Gunner Danny Welbeck in second place.
Saliba is one of two defenders in the top five alongside Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo. The fact that the Frenchman is on this list highlights his importance to Arteta's side as it allows the Spaniard to adopt a high-line with less risk of getting caught out.
The 21-year-old was pivotal in helping Arsenal to maintain their first clean sheet of the season at a tricky ground in Selhurst Park. The Gunners had lost 3-0 in the previous campaign. His performance was so good that Jamie Carragher awarded the Frenchman with the man of the match award.
"I thought he was very good. He didn't have too much to do in terms of the first half, but there was one moment where Arsenal were pushing out a lot. Anderson kept putting balls over the top, but there was one ball that went in behind Ben White but the way he dealt with it," Carragher said on Sky Sports when speaking about Saliba.
Before you see him play, he looks the part, for such a young age, helping Ben White, Arsenal fans have been excited to see him. You can argue was it right to put him out, but he is 21 playing centre-back in the Premier League - do you do that when you're 19-20? It's not easy. He looked the real deal.
"We looked at Zinchenko and Jesus before the game, but he adds something. We always felt they were weak. Brentford, they got bullied. Here his physical stature will certainly help them in tough area games."
Saliba has been excellent since his return from a season-long loan at Marseille. His impressive statistics continue to prove why he is a crucial asset for the Gunners.
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