The young Frenchman William Saliba has been with Arsenal for three years without kicking a ball for the Gunners, but he made his long-awaited debut for the Gunners at Crystal Palace on Friday, and what a debut it was, as he picked up the Man Of The Match trophy after an imperious display against the Eagles.
In fact, including all our preseason games we are yet to concede a goal with the 21 year old on the pitch.
As it took so long before his first game, he only has two years left on his original contract, so there have been many rumours about Arsenal offering him a contract extension, with his agent in London for talks with the Gunners heirarchy. But after his debut Saliba made it very clear that he is very happy at this “great club”.
He told Arsenal.com: “It was very good because we start with a win and a clean sheet. It was a tough game, but we won at the end, so very good. I’ve waited a long time, but we (did it) in my first ever game, and I am so happy.
“It’s very good when you start to have your first (chance) in this amazing club. So I am so happy, and hungry for more.”
“We knew it would be a very hard game, but we were prepared and we were focused,” he added. “It’s good for the confidence, it’s very good and I hope we will keep going like this.
“We play as 11 and the players who came home, they gave their maximum. It’s a good team, when we play like this it’s very good.
‘We have to enjoy tonight, but beginning tomorrow we have to be focused on the next game because it’s not finished, it’s just the first game.”
Our next game of course will be Saliba’s Emirates debut, and if he plays just as well in that one, we will all be telling him to sign dat ting!
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Mikel Arteta would have liked a couple more goals against Palace. Wouldn’t we all!
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Great debut. Future of our defence. Get him a 6 year contract.
New deals have to be agreed soon for William Saliba & Bakayo Saka. Add Thomas Partey & Gabriel Magh to that list of players that also need a new deal asap.
Hopefully these 4 get extensions and we manage to still sign a midfielder as Granit will cost us games with his disciplinary record, plus if Partey gets injured we see im serious trouble in the middle…. again! Players are starting to be moved on so get a CDM/CM. We still have Vieira to come in, maybe put Granit on the bench.
Then all is left is the last player of the market to purchase after we get Pepe out the door. An attacker than can play in various positions across the front line would be perfect.
Great win to kick off the season away to Palace at Selhurst Park, a ground that alot of big teams failed to score let alone win. Long way to go but positive vibes around the club.
Well said
Granit Xhaka will cost us games sounds like ancient news.. he is a pillar in this new Arsenal.. one of the first names on the team sheet so show some respect Sean.. you sound like five years ago..tbh.
I don’t know why we usually think is Partey is out we are done for, there is an Egyptian prince on the bench, sure The boss played lokonga more last season when Partey was out and we lost games, but when he drafted Elneny, we picked up.
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Great news that some of us have been aware of for a while. Now I’m just waiting to read conspiracy theories from our so-called fanbase 😉
Saliba is only saying all this because he is so so terrified / petrified of Dictator / Authoritarian Arteta.. He has to say good things so that Arteta does not freeze him out or get rid of him..
Arteta hates players that have character, can stand up to him or question his Authority..
He just prefers “YES MEN” that will listen and be good boys..
*goonstar what do you actually seek?
Some fans though!!!
That’s how to be a good team manager where big money earners with bad character abound.
Please, don’t expect less. I love him for that. We need discipline to excel as a team.
Anyone with should be sidelined
*Anyone with ego must be sidelined* sorry for the error
@didrik
Don’t you know, Saliba wasn’t actually playing?
It was a stand-in. Salibas hates Arsenal and Arteta so much, he has refused to play.
The guy being interviewed was an actor hired by Kroenke to spread good vibes about Arsenal, as it is cheaper to buy good PR, than actually working hard to earn it.
@Anders, yes you’re right Saliba is still playing in France. His stand in is a nomad from the Kalahari Desert and he’s used to move around 🫶
All the naysayers convinced he wouldn’t be back and Arteta didn’t rate him have been proved wrong.
But how long will this Saliba / Arteta relationship last for? Egotistical / Authoritarian Arteta will find a way to fall out with Saliba soon, like he keeps doing with all the other great players he found at Arsenal.. Got rid of all of them because they stood up or questioned his authority..
Of course he gets rid of players, who questions his authority. Only way to go.
As he signed a new contract yet ?
What does that have to do with the manager’s responsibilty to make sure the team is in line with his demands?
Fancy a little side bet on that?
That was for Goonster.
Egotistical / Authoritarian ha ha, because he had to sort out the mess and demand a certain standard for Arsenal players? Should have been done many years ago and I support it 💯
@goonster,i’m laughing my ribs off right now,To think a fellow on here claimed arteta hates all players he inherited.i just can’t stop laughing at some peoples thinking faculty,LOL!!!
What else did you expect Saliba to say at this time? We should be ecstatic he is still here… for this year, at least.
The true test for me is whether he will sign a new contract to play under Arteta, long term. He has earned the right to be concerned based on how he was treated by the club in the past.
He was excluded unfairly from the Europa squad for no reason; his second loan application spell to his home club was scrapped because we didn’t return the forms on time; not to mention the pay cut he volunteered to take in order to go to Marseille.
There only one leader on the pitch at CP on Friday: MOM, Willian Saliba. It’s now clear for all to see that the 50M spent on the Rolls Royce center back last season was only for the showroom.
Don’t believe this loan development hype. Saliba has been our best starting centre back for at least two years. The gaffer clearly was not able to see and acknowledge it. Period.
Saliba wont sign a new contract before new year would be stupid, and bigger clubs will sign him i think unfortunatly. hope im wrong, wont forgive arteta when the big clubs that rated him early on… tried to sign him so only hope is that saliba loves the fans to much. and a fat contract…