Saliba is deservedly receiving plenty of plaudits, but a whole host of Gunners players deserve the praise coming to them. "He was 18, 19 and he was the best player on the pitch so that shows you the potential of this guy, he looks so easy, he could be Arsenal's centre-back for the next 15 to 20 years." I was rested so I was in the stand, he said 'watch this boy, I want to sign him'," Fabregas told BT Sport. ![]() ![]() "I was watching him very closely because an ex-Arsenal scout asked me three years ago when we were playing Saint-Etienne in a cup match. The France international was once again one of the best players on the pitch in the North London derby, providing a measure of composure far beyond his 21 years, and former Gunners midfielder Cesc Fabregas revealed how he was alerted to Saliba's potential during his time in Ligue 1. Many believed that William Saliba's countless loan spells in France would spell the end of a shortened Arsenal career - far from it. Waves of backlash arrived when the signing of Aaron Ramsdale was announced, but the Englishman is now loved by the overwhelming majority of the fanbase. There was a time not that long ago when the words Arsenal and relegation were being used unironically in the same sentence, but Arteta has not been afraid to make those bold and unpopular decisions which have helped him mould the Gunners squad into his own vision.įrom exiling creative fulcrum Mesut Ozil to immediately cutting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the ranks for disciplinary breaches, such intrepid decisions have paid dividends, and having the backing of the powers-that-be has not done any damage either. Like any emerging coach, Arteta made mistakes and will continue to make mistakes - the wave of substitutions in September's 3-1 defeat to Man United immediately springs to mind - but he has remained defiant in the face of scepticism and vitriol. The Gunners took a risk with appointing the young and fresh-faced Spaniard with no experience in the managerial chair, despite learning from one of the best in Guardiola. The bulk of the credit must undoubtedly fall into Arteta's lap for such a seismic shift in fortunes. No Thomas Partey? Albert Sambi Lokonga and Oleksandr Zinchenko are waiting in the wings. No Martin Odegaard? Fabio Vieira is on the scene. However, a significantly improved squad depth has so far helped the Gunners negate any fitness woes which have reared their ugly heads. ![]() That plethora of reassuring statistics is only adding fuel to the fire surrounding Arsenal's chances of a fourth-ever Premier League title, and while the standings are still in their embryonic phase, the foundations for sustained success are there for all to see.ĭuring the much-maligned later years of Arsene Wenger's career and Unai Emery's ill-fated stint in the hotseat, Arsenal became synonymous with a lengthy injury list, and it has been no different since Arteta took the reins to deploy a high-intensity style of football. To put Arsenal's eye-catching start to the season in even greater context, not even the iconic Invincibles of 2003-04 had amassed as many points after eight games - collecting 20 from 24 - and the Gunners have only sat at the top of the table after eight games in five previous seasons, the most recent of which came in 2013-14. This time around, Arsenal have already found the back of the net on 20 occasions in the Premier League and have conceded just eight goals - the first time since the 2016-17 season that they have avoided shipping double figures after eight matches. With 21 points taken from a possible 24, Arsenal are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table - one point better off than reigning champions Man City and four clear of bitter adversaries Tottenham - and such a position is wholly unfamiliar to managerial novice Arteta.Īfter eight games of the 2020-22 seasons, Arsenal found themselves languishing in 12th place on both occasions, taking just 11 and 12 points respectively in Arteta's first two campaigns in charge - scoring a combined 16 goals.
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