Ex-Manchester United striker Louis Saha has paid tribute to the impact that William Saliba has made since establishing himself as a regular starter at Arsenal.
Speaking to Paddy Power, Saha said that, up until a couple of years ago, the Gunners were notorious for being “really fragile” at the back but he believes the club’s defence is now one of its “biggest strengths” thanks to Saliba:
“William Saliba has improved a lot. His confidence has always been high, but he’s linked with Gabriel really well and they’ve really improved their aggression and composure. It comes from their disappointment last year where Saliba was injured. He came back from injury and has done really well and shown why he was so important because when he wasn’t there, Arsenal were fragile.”
“It’s great to see. I’ve always recognised his quality as a defender but technically he’s very gifted too. When he makes mistakes, he’s able to recover from it. He’s got a great partnership with Gabriel – they have great communication and it’s almost natural. They don’t have to speak a lot to understand each other very well.”
“It’s a big advantage and it’s one of Arsenal’s biggest strengths this season. They’ve managed to get their aggression right this season, especially compared to the last couple of years where they were really fragile – but not anymore.”
Saliba’s record when starting for Arsenal is phenomenal
Saha is bang on the money with regards to the Frenchman’s importance to the Gunners. Since the start of last season, Saliba has been on the losing side on just 7 occasions in 58 league games.
His team have picked up a mightily impressive 137 points in those fixtures, which has helped them challenge for the title for two consecutive campaigns.
