“He had 64 touches, won 5 aerial duels and made 7 great clearances, he showed Sergio Ramos who is the boss”- Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira praises Arsenal’s golden 22-year-old prodigy for outperforming his colleagues against Sevilla last night.
5 aerials won, 7 clearances: Arteta struck gold with Arsenal’s 22-year-old star, who sparkled against Sevilla.
Arsenal defender William Saliba was impressive in the Gunners’ Champions League victory over Sevilla.
The Gunners’ 22-year-old star didn’t fare well in the tie with Chelsea, but he made up for it on the midweek European trip.
Saliba handled the physical danger of Youssef En-Nesyri admirably and proceeded to impress as the hosts went to two up top.
Despite having to contend with Mariano Diaz, the Arsenal star remained powerful and dependable, allowing little to get past him.
Saliba appeared to win almost every 50-50 challenge and header. His data from the night are interesting to read.
According to Whoscored, the Arsenal center-back made seven clearances and one tackle.
He also won five aerial challenges and had the most touches of any Gunners player on the night, with 64.
William Saliba is a present and future Arsenal star.
Mikel Arteta has struck gold not only by signing Saliba, but also by allowing him to develop as a player.
For years, some Arsenal fans chastised the manager for not launching the player into the deep end.
Instead, Saliba was loaned out multiple times until making his debut a year ago.
He ended up making an immediate impact for Arsenal, becoming one of their most crucial players in their Premier League championship defense.
Indeed, some argue that Saliba’s injury was the primary reason the Gunners failed to win the Premier League title.
It’s incredible to think that Saliba is only 22 years old and already looks like a complete center-back.
Given that defenders are thought to peak in their mid-to-late twenties, he’s probably not even close to being finished.
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