Arsenal will need to win some key battles if they are to come out on top against Manchester City in this weekend’s title clash.
The Gunners can come out on top at The Etihad but will need all their players at their very best.
Man City are without a number of key players, such as John Stones and Kyle Walker, and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will smell blood.
However, it’s not simply a case of turning up and Arsenal know City have an abundance of quality.
The main threat for City as many know is striker Erling Haaland. And according to Jamie Carragher, the pressure is on on Arsenal star to make sure Haaland is stifled.
Arsenal defender under pressure against Manchester City
Arsenal, of course, have one of the best defensive records in Europe.
Indeed, in the Premier League, they are the meanest defence going and have conceded just 24 goals, while City have let in four more at 28.
Key to Arsenal’s solidness has been the partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba at the back. The duo have been magnificent all season and their fitness and form has been paramount for the Gunners.
But according to Jamie Carragher, Frenchman Saliba goes into this game with City this weekend under pressure, given what happened last season.
Jamie Carragher explains why William Saliba is under pressure
Writing in his weekly column for The Telegraph, Carragher praised Saliba but admitted that the pressure of performing is something he has to deal with this weekend.
“The Etihad trip is especially significant for Saliba. Ask any Arsenal fan about the turning point of last season and they will argue it was Saliba’s injury. The title effort may not have run out of steam as quickly as it did without him,” Carragher said.
“It’s been a strange week for the Arsenal centre-half. He has become one of the Premier League’s outstanding defenders but was criticised by France coach Didier Deschamps.
“He does things I do not like,” he said.
“The only thing Arsenal fans do not like about their French defender is when someone has to fill in for him. With respect to Rob Holding who deputised for Saliba at City a year ago, the difference was telling.
“That adds to the pressure on Saliba, though. There are many who see him as the natural heir to Virgil van Dijk as the Premier League’s best centre-back. Van Dijk is still number one and reaffirmed that status when he nullified the threat of Erling Haaland when they met at Anfield. The gauntlet has been thrown down to Saliba. Should he win his duel with Haaland – one of the many that will decide who wins on Sunday – Arsenal can anticipate producing a much better performance than they did on their last trip to City.”
Saliba has impressed all season
The evidence is there for all to see when it comes to William Saliba and how impressive he has been.
Despite the comments from Deschamps this week, the French defender has been lauded over in England for his performances.
Rio Ferdinand recently spoke of how easy Saliba makes the game look, while Darren Bent has said Saliba is even more important to Arsenal than Declan Rice.
There is interest from across Europe as well, with David Ornstein saying a number of top clubs would love to sign Saliba.
Arsenal, then, have dropped on with a gem after paying just £27m for the defender.
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