William Saliba

2022 - 8 - 5

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Arsenal.com"

Arteta: Saliba reaping benefits of Marseille loan | News (Arsenal.com)

Mikel Arteta is delighted with the progress that William Saliba has made following his season-long loan last term.

Now we have a very different context and hopefully that will prove that for him and for the club it was the right decision." Reflecting on what could have happened had he stayed with us last term, Arteta added: “We don’t know because maybe he would have picked up an injury, maybe he wouldn’t play and maybe we could have sent him on loan and it wouldn’t work. He could have picked up an injury like he did in the first loan that we had.

Mikel Arteta fields 'great team' as William Saliba makes Premier ... (Football.London)

Arsenal fans react to Mikel Arteta's first Premier League starting line-up of the season as the Gunners travel to Selhurst Park to play against Crystal ...

New striker signing Gabriel Jesus also leads the line for the Gunners and will be hoping to get his first Premier League goal as an Arsenal player. @arsenalmanipur said: "Jesus will save us!! Arguably the most exciting addition to the starting line-up is William Saliba, who makes his first Premier League appearance following consecutive loans away from the club.

Mikel Arteta puts money where his mouth is with Arsenal's William ... (Mirror.co.uk)

The French defender started the season at the heart of Arsenal's defence as they headed to Crystal Palace, with Ben White shifting from his regular position ...

But having deemed Saliba is now more than ready to feature, he gave him his head at Selhurst Park. Read More That meant shifting England centre-back Ben White from the heart of defence - where he was first-choice alongside Gabriel last term - out to right-back.

William Saliba credits loan development after starring for Arsenal in ... (The Athletic)

William Saliba believes his extended time away on loan helped him star on his Arsenal debut as they beat Crystal Palace on Friday night.

Arsenal face Leicester City next weekend, while Crystal Palace take on Liverpool next Monday. Saliba impressed as Arsenal strolled to victory. Despite the ease with which he played, Saliba insisted he needed to put in the effort to impress for Arsenal on Friday. He said: “It’s never easy (to slot into the side). I have to give the maximum.

How William Saliba finally became Premier League ready for Arsenal (Telegraph.co.uk)

The journey has not been straightforward for the defender, still only 21, but it seems that now — at long last — his time has finally come.

This will have crossed the minds of Arteta and technical director Edu, but it is certainly hard to see Saliba being sold in the coming weeks, especially after such an impressive pre-season. It is also true that Arsenal is now a transformed club, with a very different set of characters in the dressing room, compared to two summers ago. There has also been a conscious effort by Arsenal, this summer and last summer, to sign players of the right character and to strengthen the relationships between squad members. Arsenal would no doubt like to pretend that Saliba’s path to this point, and his development on loan in France, has all been part of a carefully-managed strategy. “I am really pleased to see the way he is playing, the way he has adapted to the team and the maturity that he is showing at 21 years old,” said Arteta on the tour of the US. “We will keep developing him. The journey has not been straightforward for this young defender, still only 21, but it seems that now — at long last — his time has finally come.

Arsenal fans rejoice as William Saliba finally given a chance by ... (Daily Star)

William Saliba has been an Arsenal player for over three years, but he was finally handed his first start for the Gunners by Mikel Arteta against Crystal ...

Someone else said: "Can’t wait for everyone to see how good Saliba is this season. A third person added: "I can't even explain how excited I am to see Saliba make his EPL debut for us." Saliba has been made to wait for his club debut, and that's putting it mildly.

William Saliba was mentored by questionable figures at Arsenal (The Boot Room)

Arsenal kickoff the Premier League tonight with a clash against Crystal Palace this with Mikel Arteta looking to get the perfect start.

This is a new Arsenal squad now and the likes of Aaron Ramsdale and others are big characters. Guendouzi had more than one run-in with Arteta, while Aubameyang was ousted by the Arsenal coach and stripped of the captaincy. Defender William Saliba is set to make a big impression this season after returning from a superb spell in Marseille. Of course, Saliba’s time with Arsenal hasn’t taken off at all, and he’s played more times for France than he has for the Gunners.