Thierry Henry insists that William Saliba is currently the best defender in the Premier League, despite Arsenal conceding three goals against Luton Town last night.
Saliba, who joined Arsenal in 2019, started getting regular game time last season after spending some time out on loan. Although initially not trusted by manager Mikel Arteta, Saliba’s development impressed the Gunners’ boss last term, and he has become a key player in the team.
Some fans believe that had he not been injured towards the end of last season, Arsenal could have won the league title. Saliba has carried his fine form into the current season, contributing to Arsenal’s leading position in the standings.
Thierry Henry has commended Saliba for his consistently excellent performances and firmly believes that he is currently the best defender in the league.
He said, as quoted by the Daily Mail:
‘Right now I think he [Saliba] is [the best], by a mile.
‘The way he can defend a 1v1, the way he allows Arsenal to stay higher [up the pitch] and defend the 45-50 yards behind him is second to none.
‘His speed, the way he recovers, and when he recovers the ball he doesn’t just kick it into the stands – he tries to get it back [to his team-mates] which is important.
‘I was working in France when he was on loan to Marseille [in 2021-22] and I was surprised that Arsenal didn’t keep him because I thought he was better than what we had.
‘But he went on loan and he came back and he showed everybody that that was a mistake and now he’s now the best defender in the league.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
Saliba is now a world-class defender and will thrive in any team he plays for.
We are lucky he is in our squad and must do our best to keep him for as long as possible.
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