As Arsenal and Manchester City battled each other to a 1-1 draw. It led to Mikel Arteta’s men producing a solid defensive display from the Gunners to stifle City’s attacks.
At the heart of the defence, centre back pairing Gabriel and Saliba were excellent as City’s danger man Erling Haaland was kept quiet for the game.
The Gunners are also in the Champions League quarter finals facing Bayern Munich in the first leg next Tuesday with fans dreaming of a magical double at the end of the season.
William Saliba
When the Gunners first signed the Frenchman back in 2019 under then manager Unai Emery, few fans could have predicted how good Saliba would become. Loan spells in Ligue one helped Saliba to settle himself down as a starter for Nice and Marseille.
Since his return to the club in the last season Saliba has become one of the first names on the team sheet for the Gunners. Blessed with excellent technical and physical ability, Saliba ability to make crucial tackles and long-range passes has made him a fan favourite.
Saliba’s performance against Manchester City was incredible to watch, the calmness and maturity the Frenchman showed at the Etihad Stadium was one of the many reasons why Saliba was voted as Man of the Match in yesterday’s game.
Last season, when the Frenchman suffered a back injury the Gunners really suffered as Arsenal lost their point advantage to hand Manchester City their third consecutive Premier League title. During that time Arsenal faced City at the Etihad and collapsed to a 4-1 loss.
After yesterday’s game Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard spoke to Sky Sports about the Frenchman and said, “Any team in the world would miss this guy (Saliba). You see the quality he has on and off the ball, so I am glad he is fit now. Brilliant player and brilliant performance again today.”
Whilst Declan Rice has been important for Arsenal this season, Saliba and Gabriel’s importance cannot go unnoticed.
Gabriel Magalhães
Gabriel has become one of the best Premier League defenders this season and by forming a solid partnership with William Saliba, the pair have transformed Arsenal into title contenders for the past two seasons. With Gabriel being athletic and being left footed he fits perfectly into Mikel Arteta’s plans and tactical system.
Occasionally, the Brazilian is accused of being rash and brazen at times in games but since forming a solid partnership with Saliba it has made the Brazilian to make more calculated and
However, it is not just this season Gabriel has been excellent for Arsenal as last season the centre back found himself constantly playing two positions as Zinchenko inverting into midfield made the side vulnerable when opposition teams counter attacked.
Gabriel isn’t just a no-nonsense defender, he is as crucial to the Gunners when it comes to set pieces with the Brazilian having scored four goals this season and been at the heart of Arsenal’s set pieces.
In yesterday’s game, the Brazilian was touch tight to Haaland denying him any space and contesting for every header with the Norwegian and kept him away from goal.
Whilst many defenders in the around the world have struggled to nullify Haaland, Gabriel was physical and direct as he bullied Norwegian in fiery exchanges and helped his side fight for a hard-earned point.
Arsenal fans hope for dream double
With Arsenal in the running for both Premier League and Champions League glory this season, both Gabriel and Saliba will be crucial as the Gunners approach the final stretch of the season.
The duo has been at the core of Arsenal’s defence this season and have only conceded 24 goals this season which is the best in the entire Premier League and shows how dominant Saliba and Gabriel have been in defence.
If Arsenal fans will told at the start of the season that they would get 4/6 points against both Liverpool and Manchester City, the vast majority would have taken it as a success, and it is proof that Arsenal are closer to their title rivals as opposed to three seasons ago.
Whilst Bayern Munich will be a different challenge in the Champions League, the Gunners have every reason to be confident as the German champions have been poor compared to their usual standards.
With performances against Liverpool and Manchester City away from home the Gunners have every chance to advance to the semis of the Champions League.
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