Arsenal defender William Saliba was in fantastic form during Sunday’s win over Manchester City in the Community Shield.
The Frenchman made his first competitive appearance for the Gunners since he was ruled out with a back problem in March.
He continued from where he left off with another stand-out defensive performance for the club.
Saliba comfortably dealt with the threat of Erling Braut Haaland. The Norwegian failed to register a single shot towards goal.
Aside from keeping Haaland quiet, the centre-back was also brilliant with his distribution and defending.
The 22-year-old had 86 touches and completed 71 out of his 74 passes – an accuracy of 96 per cent.
Meanwhile, he made four clearances for the Gunners while winning four duels and two tackles.
SALIBA DELIVERS MASTERCLASS PERFORMANCE VS MAN CITY
Saliba’s injury absence last season coincided with Arsenal’s poor run of form in the Premier League.
Without him, the club lacked the defensive cohesion. They eventually succumbed to the pressure of expectations after being top of the league for eight months.
Hence, it is essential for the Gunners to keep him fit to challenge for the league title this season. Saliba showed his class against City with a masterclass showing.
He barely put a foot wrong over the course of 90 minutes. The Gunners were outdone for Cole Palmer’s goal due to Gabriel Magalhaes failing to close him down.
Arsenal begin their league campaign against Nottingham Forest at home in Saturday’s early kick-off. The club’s faithful will be anticipating another positive start.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
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