Arsenal were forced to dig deep to secure a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield, but their defensive frailties in the first half were once again exposed. William Saliba, usually one of the team’s most dependable performers, was among the most unconvincing players in the opening stages of the game.
The Gunners found themselves two goals down before half-time, and while their second-half comeback was commendable, much of the damage had already been done. Saliba, who has been praised for his calmness and composure throughout the season, appeared shaky without his regular partner Gabriel Magalhaes beside him.
Saliba Feels the Absence of Gabriel
The absence of Gabriel due to injury has left a noticeable gap in Arsenal’s backline, and Saliba’s dip in form has become more apparent in recent matches. Although both defenders are highly regarded, Gabriel’s leadership and organisational presence have often brought the best out of Saliba.
Jakub Kiwior, who stepped into the defensive line, was arguably the standout performer at the back for Arsenal on the day. Despite this, the team as a whole struggled to cope with Liverpool’s attacking intensity early on, conceding two goals that could have been avoided with more disciplined defending.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher weighed in on Saliba’s form following the match, commenting:
“As a partnership, Saliba and Gabriel are among the best in the Premier League. I think Saliba is the better player, but Gabriel is the better leader and Saliba needs to bring that to his game to get to the levels of Virgil van Dijk. I think since Gabriel has come out of the team, that’s not the same Saliba – the amount of mistakes I’ve seen. He makes a big mistake in every game I’ve seen.”
A Wake-Up Call for Arsenal’s Defence
Saliba remains an essential part of Arsenal’s long-term project, but it’s clear he thrives alongside Gabriel. As Arsenal aim to finish the season strongly, restoring that partnership will be vital to maintaining defensive stability.
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The absence of Gabriel isn’t only felt in his defending but his on field leadership. A club captain maybe?🙄
May bd Saliba head has been turn by the cemetery of talents .
This sort of thing do happen in the modern game
The Cemetery of talents do have a habit of dangling trophies in front these young unsuspecting stars.
Some will never realize their dreams there but the lure of Europe most prestigious big ears mug often time than not prove too much to ignore.
Now am not saying the Frenchman is unsettled by the Bernabeu giants, am just throwing this out and let the chips fall where they may
To be fair players in the last two decades have realised their dreams at Real Madrid more then ar Arsenal
Some players have different ambition than warming the bench at the cemetery of talents.
What winning nothing ? Lol
Maybe so, but kiwior is a different defender, gabriel worked out his flaws a couple of years back.
Also where was van dijk and which League at salibas age ?
Does Gabriel make Saliba look good? Why does Saliba look so poor with Kiwior? Is he as good as we think he is? Is he having some crisis of confidence? Is he thinking of Real Madrid? There is something major wrong at the moment and whatever it is, it can carry on next season because all of the above, need addressing. The mistakes are not of the level required.
There is a hype of Arsenal players that I wonder at, and it around Saliba, Saka, Raya and Rice – average players dressed up like super stars. I would have Gabriel and Milenkovitch of Norvich at CB over Saliba… Defenders you can’t mess around with.
I think Gabriel is the leader and organizer of our back line. Without him, Saliba is finding himself in a position where he has to be the leader and that can be a distraction.
Saliba has also played the most minutes of our outfield players. Plays all the time for France as well.Without rest, it could be that he is mentally and physically exhausted and that is manifest in his lack of concentration/sharpness. It’s a shame Ben and Tomi weren’t available over the season to give him a rest. He’ll be alright after the summer break.
I don’t believe the absence of Gabriel is a contributory factor in the downturn in the form of Saliba.First if all we are coming to the end of a long hard season when the young Frenchman has hardly enjoyed a rest.Little wonder he is showing signs of fatigue.However, the main problem stems from the complacency which he shows from time to time and which arises because, for him the CB role comes easy and rather than take the easy way out by way of the simple pass, he tries to add value by being constructive at all times.In many ways he reminds me of a better version of John Stones who always gave the opposition a chance until the latter part of his career.Hopefully he will return next season completely refreshed and less inclined to take unnecessary risks.